Apple Employee Loses iPhone 5 Prototype in Bar (Report)

Another Apple iPhone prototype has been lost in a bar, CNET reported Wednesday, citing anonymous sources.

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The cite claims that an employee lost the iPhone 5 device in San Francisco's Mission district in late July, spurring a "scramble" by Apple security to locate the missing mobile over the following few days.

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According to CNet, the phone was taken from Cava 22, a Mexican restaurant/bar, and may have been sold for $200 on Craigslist.

San Francisco police reportedly were contacted by Apple reps, who traced the device to a home in the Bernal Heights neighborhood. They questioned a man there who admitted to being at Cava 22 that night but denied knowing anything about the missing phone, even after being offered money by Apple employees.

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Apple declined comment to CNET, while a San Francisco Police Department spokesman said no police report had been filed.

This would make it the second time a staffer has misplaced an iPhone prototype. Last year, Gawker Media's Gizmodo blog claimed it paid $5,000 for an iPhone 4 prototype that was eft at a bar in Redwood City, Calif., by an Apple software engineer.

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Apple has yet to make an official announcement about any future iPhones, but speculation is that the iPhone 5 might launch within the next two months.

Last week, CEO Steve Jobs stepped down from his position and was replaced by COO Tim Cook. Jobs plans to remain chairman of the board.