WhiteIphone4
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New paint supposedly fixes white iPhone production issue
Recent sightings of the white iPhone 4 in inventory systems suggest the release of the elusive handset may be imminent. Another report from Japanese blog Macotakara lends credence to these earlier leaks by claiming the paint problems that plagued the white iPhone 4 have been solved. According to the report, a Japanese company developed a process that lets the manufacturer set the thickness of an applied painting layer. This breakthrough may finally permit the mass production of this coveted white handset. The white iPhone 4 was announced last June and has been delayed on several occasions. Apple's official statement on the delay of the white iPhone pointed to a manufacturing problem, but the details behind this unexpected problem were never disclosed by the Cupertino company. Rumored reports from multiple sources pointed to a problem with paint, specifically the thickness and opacity, which distorted the color of the white handset. Engadget discusses these trials and tribulations in an excellent article that details this troubled manufacturing process. If this rumor pans out and the paint problem has been solved, we may actually see the white iPhone 4 materialize in the near future. While customers may have been clamoring over the white iPhone 4 at launch, how many Apple faithful will still jump on the handset now that we are so close to the iPhone 5 launch? [Via Redmond Pie and MobileCrunch]
White iPhone 4 in AT&T's account management system now, too
Hot on the heels of cameos in various Vodafone Germany and Best Buy systems, the mythical white iPhone 4 is showing up somewhere else -- and for many of you, this one hits particularly close to home. Turns out any AT&T subscriber can now log in to their account and see both 16GB and 32GB versions of the phone listed in the model picker, which could definitely suggest that these guys are getting ready to finally make them available along with everyone else. Then again, we've also heard that the white iPhone 4 never even left some of AT&T's inventory systems in the first place, so this might mean very little -- but for now, we're going with the "where there's smoke, there's fire" angle. Verizon, your turn.
White iPhone 4 purportedly turns up in Best Buy's inventory system, launching February 27th?
It's been a long time coming, but it's starting to look like things just might be starting to maybe, possibly line up for the white iPhone 4. We saw some inventory shots from Vodafone Germany ourselves yesterday, and now Mac Rumors has turned up a shot of it own that appears to show both 16GB and 32GB versions of the phone in Best Buy's inventory system in the US. What's more, these listings also show a specific in-stock date of February 27th and, for what it's worth, the model numbers match those that first turned up in Best Buy's system when it was originally taking pre-orders for the difficult-to-manufacture phone. Of course, we still won't be fully satisfied until we start seeing some actual boxes with white iPhones in them, but here's hoping we won't have to wait too much longer for that to happen -- Apple still hasn't pushed back that "spring 2011" date, after all. [Thanks, Micah ]
White iPhone 4 seen in German inventory system
The good folks at Engadget have received pictures of what purports to be the inventory listing for Vodaphone in Germany, and in there you can see an entry for an iPhone 4 "weiß," which you don't have to have taken high school German to realize means white. That's right, the legendary white iPhone 4 still isn't dead -- Engadget's source says the phone should be available to the public "soon." We'd say that it's all just a bunch of wishful thinking yet again, but who knows? If The Beatles can show up on iTunes, then maybe we will see an actual, non-modded iPhone 4 for sale officially.
Woz flashes fake white iPhone 4 on CNN
You've got to hand it to Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. Although he hasn't really done anything for the company since 1987, he is becoming quite the TV star. He's been a competitor on Dancing with the Stars, did a cameo on Big Bang Theory, and was recently seen on CNN flashing a white iPhone 4. A white iPhone 4? You mean one of those oft-delayed mythical beasts that may actually appear in the spring of 2011? Well, it turns out that Woz is having the last laugh. The white iPhone 4 is actually a fake. Woz purchased a set of white front and back plates from the young entrepreneur that Apple later shut down, and modded his iPhone 4 with the plates. We think that Woz just wanted to have a white iPhone 4 before "that other Steve" got one.
White iPhone 4 reportedly due spring of 2011
If you have been holding out for a white iPhone 4, you might only have another three or four months to wait. We reported last month that the white iPhone had been delayed until spring, and now we have confirmation of sorts from Apple. A number of our readers pinged TUAW over the weekend with news of the new iPhone signage at Apple Stores, which (if you read the fine print) notes that "The White iPhone will be available spring 2011." 9 to 5 Mac's readers also sent in similar reports. In case you've forgotten when spring begins, that date in 2011 is March 20, with the season stretching until June 21. Apple could theoretically wait until June 21 to release the white iPhone 4, thus keeping their word while driving hordes of potential buyers stark raving mad. The mythical white iPhone 4 has been on the hot list for many potential iPhone buyers / upgraders who have been holding off until they can have one of the gleaming, pure-as-the-driven-snow devices in their hot little hands. Nobody seems to know why the white iPhone 4 has been missing in action so far; rumors have it that there has been a shortage of unicorns, the ground horns of which are lovingly fabricated into the cases by elves. Others speculate that the white cases tend to discolor under use, and that the various materials used don't precisely match and have not made it past the perfectionist scrutiny of Steve Jobs. It's our speculation that Apple's captive unicorn breeding program has been wildly successful, and that it will soon be open season on the critters, with white iPhones and rainbow Skittles abounding.
Foxconn denies selling white iPhone parts
Manufacturer Foxconn has denied selling white iPhone parts in a statement made through the Taiwanese stock exchange. Last August, we pointed out WhiteiPhone4Now, a website selling white iPhone conversion kits. Earlier this week, the site's owner, Fei Lam, saw his project gain the attention of a private investigator who, according to Lam's attorney, was working for Apple. In the story that broke on Wednesday, it was stated that Lam was believed to be buying the casings from Foxconn, the manufacturer that assembles a number of Apple products (among other things). Today, Foxconn is denying the claim. Of course, we still don't know where Lam was getting his casings (the best-looking we're seen), or how apparently intact, legitimate white iPhone 4s are appearing elsewhere in China. Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to get officially unavailable white iPhones into the hands of people willing to pay top dollar, no questions asked.
Real white iPhone 4s supposedly sold on Chinese grey market
Website Giz-China has published photos of what appear to be genuine white iPhone 4s on sale in China. The boxes are marked with a label describing them as being "for internal use only," and certainly look more convincing than many of the knock-offs we see from that area. Prices reportedly range from 5500 Yuan (about $828 as of this writing) to 8000 Yuan ($1204). This type of illegal resale has been a persistent problem for Apple. In 2008, the New York Times estimated that there were 1.4 million ill-gotten iPhones in the world. At this time last year, the Wall Street Journal estimated that number had grown to 2 million in China alone. More recently, security personnel at a Beijing Apple Store were forced to temporarily close the doors while some customers purchased huge numbers of iPhones only to re-sell them just outside the store. Additionally, Apple has begun to introduce new products to the Chinese market more quickly than before, partially in an attempt to eliminate the high-demand, low-supply environment that's so attractive to opportunistic resellers. [Via CrunchGear]
White iPhone conversion kits land teenage entrepreneur in hot water
Since Apple's apparently having trouble making a white iPhone 4, a 17-year-old entrepreneur decided to do it himself. Fei Lam purchased white iPhone parts directly from Foxconn, the overseas factory that manufactures many of Apple's products, including the iPhone. He put up a website, WhiteiPhone4Now, that offers conversion kits consisting of the front and back plate plus home button; you can currently buy the complete kit for US$279. Since August, Lam has sold more than US$130,000 in conversion kits, which Lam says will help him pay for college. It sounds like a typical, all-American success story...but of course, someone higher up is trying to smack him down. Lam says he has received an email from a "private investigator" accusing him of selling stolen goods. "They are some kind of anti-counterfeit/trademark firm, which sounds ridiculous, similar to what Apple is bringing up to remove White iPhone 4 Listings on eBay. I don't know how this legal stuff works." Assuming this isn't all just a huge publicity stunt on Lam's part, the idea that these white iPhone 4 parts were "stolen" seems ludicrous -- maybe not from a legal perspective, but definitely from a common sense perspective. Sure, Apple may technically own those parts, and sure, Foxconn technically doesn't have the right to sell those parts to a third-party without Apple's consent. But considering that Apple's not releasing a white iPhone 4 until Spring 2011, if ever, it's fairly likely those parts were just going to end up at a Shenzhen landfill anyway. I say let the kid sell some conversion kits; at almost $300 a pop, he's probably not going to sell more than a few thousand anyway. And besides, it's not like Lam is hurting Apple's bottom line in any way: conversion kit buyers had to buy an iPhone 4 on their own in the first place. Apple, if you really are going after this poor guy, then in the spirit of the Beatles, just let it be.
Gruber just got the fakest phone ever: a white iPhone 4 toy
John Gruber, who writes the popular Daring Fireball blog just sent out a Tweet saying "Look what a little birdie sent me" and then linked to an image of a boy (I'm assuming his son), playing with a white iPhone 4. I've been reading Gruber's blog for some time and he isn't the kind of guy who seems to play practical jokes. So there's two options here: either someone just gave Gruber a white iPhone 4, or someone gave Gruber a picture of a boy playing with a white iPhone 4. The only question is, how did either of them get it? You can see the full picture here. Update: Gruber just Tweeted this: "Just to be clear: it's some kind of toy. The display is paper (under glossy plastic). Bizarre!" Lame, John.
Rumor: Camera woes holding up white iPhone, may be perma-postponed
The mysterious and semi-mythical white iPhone 4 just can't catch a break. First Apple acknowledges the phone won't see stores before this Spring; now Cult of Mac is reporting that the reason may not be a manufacturing issue at all. Instead, the phone's white case and the rear-facing camera may be interacting in a downright uncooperative way. The CoM source suggests that the white iPhone case leaks light into the camera sensor, resulting in washed-out photos regardless of the subject lighting. The problem was supposedly identified very late in the game at Apple's testing center that qualifies cases for use with the phone. Considering that the tick-tock of phone releases means we'll likely see another iPhone model over the summer anyway, it doesn't seem too far-fetched to stand with Boy Genius Report and their source that says the iPhone 4 will never ship in white. The hypothesis/inside info is that another delay would be announced in March, leading to the white 4 being superceded by the white 5. If you're waiting for a white iPhone 4 -- really now -- please stop holding your breath.
White iPhone shows up in Apple Store app
As reported earlier today, Apple has updated the App Store app, and with that update seems to come indication that the much coveted white iPhone 4 may be making its way to stores soon. If you open the App Store app and navigate to the "Stores" area, then attempt to make a product reservation for an iPhone, you may note that there are black AND white versions listed. Unfortunately, if one attempts to reserve one of the white versions of the iPhone, you'll get the notice pictured. Attempting to reserve a black iPhone appears to work, though. Still, this is promising indication that things may be changing soon, if you're one who has been holding out for one of these.
WSJ: Apple lost confidence in Papermaster months ago, Jobs accepted iPhone 4 antenna risks
We may never know the truth about the ousting of Mark Papermaster, Apple's VP in charge of the iPhone and a direct report to Steve Jobs. However, a report in the Wall Street Journal co-authored by Yukari Iwatani Kane -- widely considered to be Apple's favorite go-to source when it wants to control a story in the press -- is as close as we're likely ever going to get, from Apple's perspective anyway. Citing several anonymous sources familiar with Papermaster's downfall, the WSJ says the following: Mr. Papermaster had lost the confidence of Mr. Jobs months ago and hasn't been part of the decision-making process for some time, these people said. They added that Mr. Papermaster didn't appear to have the type of creative thinking expected at Apple and wasn't used to Apple's corporate culture, where even senior executives are expected to keep on top of the smallest details of their areas of responsibility and often have to handle many tasks directly, as opposed to delegating them. In other words, it wasn't just about the iPhone 4's antenna. In fact, the WSJ claims that Jobs knew about the risks of the antenna design as much as a year ago and it was his decision, not Papermaster's, to move forward with its development. Whatever the real story is, we're sure that Steve, visibly agitated at having to host an antennagate press conference, wasn't too pleased at having stood in front of the media promising an "end of July" ship date for the already delayed white iPhone 4 only to delay it again just a few days later. Straw, meet camel.
Apple delays white iPhone a second time, won't ship until 'later this year'
Man, there's about a zero percent chance that Steve Jobs and company are happy about this. Just days after shocking the market with higher-than-expected profits and revenues, Apple is having to grit its teeth once more with yet another iPhone 4 problem. This time, the elusive white iPhone -- yeah, that one that we toyed with at the WWDC announcement keynote -- is being delayed again. The new due date? Sometime "later this year." Here's the full, and unsurprisingly brief, announcement: "Statement by Apple on White iPhone 4 White models of Apple's new iPhone® 4 have continued to be more challenging to manufacture than we originally expected, and as a result they will not be available until later this year. The availability of the more popular iPhone 4 black models is not affected."
White iPhone 4 delay: the challenges faced by Apple's glass supplier
This almost goes without saying, but it's truly been a wild ride for the iPhone 4 over the last three weeks. While most of us will just happily open our hands to Stevie J's freebies, there's one question that's still bugging us: what's actually holding back the white iPhone 4? Sure, Apple's now promised us an "end of July" delivery for its latest iTemptation, but it has yet to specify what the manufacturing difficulty is. According to Chinese newspaper 21st Century Business Herald, the problem stems from a little-known Chinese factory by the name of Lens Technology, which is apparently responsible for transforming fine raw glass into the majority of iPhone glass panels out there (and contrary to previous reports, there's no mention of Corning here). Read on to find out what's causing our invisible hero to stall.
White iPhone 4: early DIY edition, with a touch of black (update: new pics with dock)
Sorry, we couldn't wait -- having spent 11 hours on the streets waiting for the iPhone 4, it's only natural to give our precious new toy some extra special care. With the help of iFixit's teardown guide, we decided to take the plunge with our steaming hot Chinese delivery -- a white front cover (with a shiny proximity sensor area above the earpiece), a white back cover (with "XXXXX" marked as the model number, ergo a prototype), and a Retina Display unit. Alas, there weren't any white buttons in stock at the time, but let's pretend this black-and-white combo is the new cool. Read on to find out how the surgery went. P.S. -- We've had many readers asking where we got the parts, but the link's already in the post. Knowing some Chinese helps, too. Update: we caved in and unboxed our iPhone 4 dock for a few more shots. It's worth noting that our prototype white covers don't quite match the dock's whiteness -- we'd say the covers look a touch warmer and darker. Knowing how picky Jony Ive is with colors, we're guessing Apple's buying time to get the paint job right. Update 2: we acquired a broken black back plate and managed to fit its lens cover onto our white one. Win.%Gallery-96373%
Apple: white iPhone 4 not available until second half of July, 'more challenging to manufacture than expected'
Well, it looks like you can put those conspiracy theories to rest... or can you? Apple has just put out an official statement on the nowhere to be found white iPhone 4, which it now says will not be available until the "second half of July." What's the holdup? Apparently, the white models have "proven more challenging to manufacture than expected" -- but don't worry, Apple assures us that "availability of the more popular iPhone 4 black models is not affected." Complete statement (which you've mostly just read) is as follows: Statement by Apple on White iPhone 4 White models of Apple's new iPhone® 4 have proven more challenging to manufacture than expected, and as a result they will not be available until the second half of July. The availability of the more popular iPhone 4 black models is not affected.
What happened to the white iPhone 4?
It shouldn't come as much of a surprise, but Best Buy has just gotten around to confirming that it won't have any stock of the white iPhone 4 come launch day on Thursday -- the same situation that both AT&T and Apple itself are in. For many buyers, it's not a big deal -- either they don't mind the black version, or they'd planned on buying black anyway -- but for others, this is putting a significant crimp on the launch day festivities. We reached out to Apple and got this: "There is tremendous excitement for the new iPhone 4 and we are working to get as many of them into the hands of customers as possible. At launch, we have the black models available for purchase and we will be adding the white models as quickly as we can." In other words, they're not revealing much of anything -- okay, scratch that, they're not revealing anything at all about its mystery-shrouded delay, the circumstances behind it, or how long we can expect to wait. So here's our question: what, exactly, happened to the white iPhone 4?%Poll-48396%
White iPhone 4 likely not available at launch
The popular rumor going around right now at the eleventh hour is that AT&T will only be offering the black iPhone 4 models for pre-order tomorrow and at launch, with their white counterparts coming "later this Summer." Considering the fact that the white version of the 4 is quite a bit more distinctive than the 3G / 3GS, that's a bummer if true -- but what we don't know is whether this is strictly limited to AT&T. It's entirely possible that Apple and third-party retailers will be offering the white models, and AT&T's own distribution channel might just be suffering from some sort of buffoonery (that's our hope, anyhow). Lending credence to the rumor is the fact that Japan's SoftBank has already officially announced that it'll only be offering the black models initially -- and when we pressed AT&T on the matter, we got "no comment" in return. It's not looking good, folks. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
