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It’s always shocking to me how much people can work themselves into a tizzy over seemingly empty news. And when it comes to Apple products, this seems to happen way too often. Early this morning Gizmodo caught wind that wholesale parts company China On Trade is selling something labeled “Apple iPhone 4 Generation Midboard”. Gizmodo argues that since the same reseller had listed a screen for the iPhone 3G S months before its release, it most likely is a legitimate next-generation iPhone part.

I take issue with that logic–after all, just because they were correct before does not necessarily make them instantly credible for the future. Gizmodo themselves even mention the possibility that this could be some sort of publicity stunt. Given all the media focus on this story in such a short amount of time (and yes, I realize this story isn’t exempt), it’s very likely that China On Trade may have just wanted some extra attention.

The part itself looks fairly in nocuous, and could quite honestly be for anything iPhone shaped. Slashgear comments that it’s slightly shorter and narrower than the 3G S, which gives me even more reason to think that it’s not legit. If anything, future iPhone models will end up featuring bigger screens to compete with the likes of the Motorola Droid, and to make them more functional as eBook readers.

I also can’t agree with the assumption that this part’s existence signals a new iPhone model coming in a few months. I’m sure Apple will need to start releasing more than one iPhone model annually in the next few years, but it doesn’t make any sense for them to shift their release schedule drastically so soon. Gizmo, to their credit, at least concludes the same.