CBS' "Moonlight" uses iPhone-like camera phone as part of plot

A new CBS television show, “Moonlight,” (see above) uses an iPhone-like cellular phone with iPhone-like photo capabilities.

I watch very little TV for fun, but I watch a lot for “professional” reasons.  Really.  I watch TV on cellular phones — because it’s one of the subjects I especially like as a wireless data consultant and I write about it — but TV shows are generally moronic.

I’ll sometimes download free TV shows from Apple iTunes to my Tablet PC and my iPod for “emergencies” when I might have nothing else to do after working on my computer, listening to music and reading on a plane.  I have never watched any of these free programs, but I continue to occasionally download them because, well, they’re there and they’re free!

“Moonlight” camera phone surprise

I saw that the premiere episode of “Moonlight” was available on iTunes and began downloading it, but realized my hard disk drive was almost out of space and stopped the download. 

Coincidentally, I saw the episode was on the AOL Video Web site while I was looking on the site for the first episode of this season’s CBS’ “Numb3rs” that, for some strange reason, wasn’t streaming on the CBS “innertube” site.  But it did play on AOL Video.

So I figured I’d just take a look at “Moonlight” on AOL Video since it was staring me in the face.  Lo and behold, a camera phone played a part in the plot so I fired up my trusty image editing program and clipped a few shots, such as the heroine, “Beth Turner,” a reporter for the Web TV site “Buzz Wire,” using her phone to snap a photo of a dead girl (see below).

As you can see, it’s a black, large-screen, PDA-like phone that doesn’t have many controls.

iPhone-like effects

But it does employ the “shutter” effect when taking a photo (see below) that the iPhone uses when a photo is taken.  There’s also a shutter click sound, but virtually every camera phone has something like that.

As the episode progresses, Turner uses her phone to show the hero, “Mick St. John,” who happens to be a vampire working as a private detective (yeah, it’s one of these real-life shows), a photo.  First she touches the photo to expand it out of a screen of 20 thumbnail images (see below).

Then, when the photo fills the screen, she uses the now-famous “pinch” movement to zoom the image (see below).  Hmmm, isn’t it easier and more common to “pinch” with the thumb and forefinger?

I watched the entire program with the hope that it would use more camera phone features but, alas, it didn’t.  What sort of idiot watches a program because he wants to see a camera phone in action?!

Real or fake?

But I’m wondering, could this phone be an actual iPhone that has been disguised?  More likely, it’s just a simulation.

Update (10–27–07):  Okay, okay, so I was watching “Moonlight” (again!  What’s wrong with me?!) on CBS’ Web site and, in episode 105, Beth Turner gets a call from Mick St. John.  No doubt — it’s an iPhone (see below).

Comments

[Sophia]

Hello, I would like to know what model of phone, to buy an equal. Someone could answer me? I love to get a response.

Thank you very much
Sophia

[Slash]

The casing or cover is a no-slip silicone case that adds a gripable layer of protection to the iPhone from "DLO", www.dlo.com. You can see the DLO print on the left bottom side of the case (in one of the fotos above). Excuse me for my poor english.

Slash (germany)

[mick]

did you get to know where the casing/cover was bought? and how much?

[sara]

i know this isnt really an ipod question. but i was just wondering if you knew anything about the security stuff that mick has in his office. like the keyless entry (the kind you would use for your car) or when the door automataiclly opens like in episode 6.

[Alan A. Reiter]

Hi Anton,

I don't have an iPhone and I'm afraid I don't know the exact case that's used in "Moonlight." If you search the Web or visit an Apple store you'll find something that's comparable or the same.

[Anton]

Hi

I know that the phone used in Moolight is an iphone, but can anyone tell me what the make/model of the case is that they used for the iphone ?

Many thanks

Anton

[Alan A. Reiter]

Hi Ash,

I didn't look closely at the hitman's phone so I don't know the model. Perhaps I should go back and take a look!

As for why the Cingular logo was covered, perhaps it was because Apple or Cingular didn't really pay for product placement or they only paid to use the phone but not to display the logo. I don't know.

Thanks for the comment.

[Ash]

what's amusing is that the iPhone is only on Cingular right now and one of the other phones used on episode 4 is a Sprint phone (yes, I actually paused it to double check the logo). I think the phone was the Katana, but I'm not positive. It was used by the hitman. Can anyone confirm the phone model? Could the show be sponsored by both Sprint and Apple? That could explain why they had to partially disguise the Cingular logos on the iPhone by putting the cover on it.

[Alan A. Reiter]

Hi John,

It is indeed an iPhone. I just updated this posting because I saw a recent episode and, without a doubt, it's an iPhone.

[John]

Looks like a real iPhone with a protective rubber case to me.