Maybe the specifics, maybe, but the unit seems like it's real. If you do a google search the DA120 was a unit on the Pioneer EU website right before the story broke. the link doesn't work anymore, but it used to, and it was a Pioneer link.
Doesn't surprise me. Someone goofed up pretty big here, and I bet Pioneer EU jumped the gun on this too early. But with Winter around the corner, I'd be more surprised if they weren't prepping for the launch of this thing. I just wonder how many people lost their jobs over this one.
I'm sure that I can't be the only one WISHING PIONEER WOULD FINISH / FIX THEIR EXISTING MODELS BEFORE STARTING TO RELEASE NEW ONES!!!
I understand the sentiment, but the logic is flawed. Should Pioneer's hardware engineers sit idle while the software guys do their work? Hell no. This is something that the hardware engineers have likely been churning on since probably CES or earlier. Usually when one product is done, the project to produce the next is immediately spun up. I'd actually be more worried if they weren't working on this and getting close to launch, to be honest. Since the early images share a lot in common with the NEX UI, I suspect they are actually running the same software (more or less).
There are good reasons why companies don't give out details on future products, and your reaction is sadly one of them. Customers don't usually understand how the sausage is made, so if you show them working prototypes (that may still be months/years out), they don't get it and wind up with the wrong impression. Press for a launch is worked out months in advance as well, so a leak of that is incredibly damaging. That's what happened here. I've been involved with projects that have had damaging leaks, and it is never fun to see the fallout of them.