(Samsung Galaxy was shy, so we’ll have the iPad do a little stand-in)

Hardware makers know this. If you let someone borrow a prototype unit, it’ll get outed for sure. Units get left behind (stolen? I’ll leave it alone), lost (stolen?), or just plain spotted by eagle eyed bloggers and media types everywhere.

When the tester is more than willing to talk about the device’s features as a guy is pointing his cell phone right at it, then we start wondering if it’s a leak-leak or a leak.

Both of which come with a massive avalanche of blogosphere activity and the much coveted guerilla marketing that is social media and on-line news reporting.

Look, I’m not saying companies don’t take stuff out for a test run. They do it with cars and you betcha arse that they do it with consumer electronics and wireless devices. Testing done properly usually includes a healthy non-disclosure agreement, violation of which could mean losing your job.

So given that, we’re looking at this story with a cynic’s eye for the moment. It’s a leak, but not quite a leak-leak. Somewhere of the middleish, trickling leaks.

Check out the full story here.

(Editor’s Note: Galaxy is running Android OS with about an 8″ screen. Could this device be the Verizon Android tablet? If connected to Vodafone then it’s entirely likely we’ll see it on Verizon in the US. If it’s the other carriers mentioned, then I think those are GSM carriers, at least the last time I was down there, so it might mean ATT or T-Mob for US.)

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