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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 ]
Talkcast tonight, 7 PT/10 ET: Verizon iPhone Edition!
Sunday can only mean one thing: Talkcast! Tonight we will have the episode we have been waiting to have since about an hour after the iPhone was announced exclusively on AT&T: Verizon iPhone! We'll talk about what to call it, what this means for the white iPhone and more. Since I am hosting this evening, there will be plenty to chat about in the Aftershow as well. Your calls and questions help us make the show the best it can be, otherwise I'm just talking to myself! To participate on TalkShoe, you can use the browser-only client, the embedded Facebook app, or the classic TalkShoe Pro Java client; however, for maximum fun, you should call in. For the web UI, just click the "TalkShoe Web" button on our profile page at 4 HI/7 PDT/10 PM EDT Sunday. To call in on regular phone or VoIP lines (yay for free cell phone weekend minutes!): dial (724) 444-7444 and enter our talkcast ID, 45077 -- during the call, you can request to talk by keying in *8. If you've got a headset or microphone handy on your Mac, you can connect via the free Gizmo or X-Lite SIP clients; basic instructions are here. Talk with you then!
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.
Apple Store offline... and back up with no changes
Yup, the US store is down. Couldn't tell you why just yet, but if you really wanted to buy that new MacBook Air this evening, you'll have to wait until it comes back up. When we see something new, we'll post about it here -- or just stay tuned to the comments on this post! What could it be? A Mac revision? A revamped cinema display? The rumored dead white iPhone? Your guess is as good as ours. Update: The store is back up, with no obvious changes. Looks like it was just a maintenance update, which wasn't all that surprising since it went down on a Saturday night.
White iPhone 4 delayed until Spring 2011
If you've been holding off on buying an iPhone 4 because you were waiting for the white version, you may as well give up and go black. Reuters reports that the white iPhone 4 has been delayed until spring of next year. If you've been paying attention at all over the past few years, you'll know that's only a few months before the iPhone 5 will likely come out, so waiting for a white iPhone 4 really doesn't make any sense now. Apple hasn't given any reason for the delay, and the news seems doubly odd since the white iPhone 4 showed up in the update for Apple's dedicated app for their retail stores this morning. Rumor has it that Apple's manufacturers can't get the iPhone 4 exactly the shade of white the company wants. Who else thinks it's odd that Apple used to make just about everything in white, but the iPhone 4 somehow can't make the grade? [via macstories]
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.
Rumor: Update on white iPhone manufacturing
Website WhiteiPhone4Now, which happens to sell DIY white iPhone case kits, has posted pictures supposedly showing the front of a white iPhone. The focus of the change depicted in their photos seems to be what they're calling a "rough & bent" condition resulting from the manufacturing process. It appears that the top case is rendered less-than-perfect in manufacturing, and as a result doesn't sit completely flush when the phone is assembled. They also claim, according to their "OEM sources," that the process has been adjusted to successfully remove this imperfection. Apple intended to sell a white iPhone at the initial launch, only to announce that it would be delayed by a few weeks and eventually several months. Since then, sites like WhiteiPhone4Now have offered patience-deprived customers a way to bring a little #ffffff to their iPhones without delay. In the meantime, Apple's workers are obviously fixing the solution. Good luck to all of them.
White iPhone 4 delayed further to "later this year"
Waiting for a white iPhone 4? Stop holding your breath and start making chalk marks on the wall, because it's going to be a while longer. Just one week ago, the white iPhone 4 delay was mentioned at the Apple press event, with an ETA for the end of July. This morning, however, Apple put out a very brief press release citing manufacturing challenges and a new delivery estimate for the white model: "later this year." Modders, put on your thinking caps -- your window of opportunity has been extended. [via TechCrunch]
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 iPhones delayed by paint issues
We know that a few of you have been waiting patiently for a white iPhone 4. Chances are you're still getting one even if you have to use a Bumper, right? Apple has announced the wait will soon be over, mostly, as white iPhones should start dribbling into inventory at the end of this month. In a year this will likely all be a distant memory (isn't everything in tech a distant memory in a year?). If you've been wondering why the delay, wonder no more: it's the paint. You see, the folks making the glass components are having quite a time getting just the right coating of paint on Apple's hot new hardware so that it'll match all the rest of its white hardware: namely docks and cables and bumpers, oh my! Engadget has a thorough dissection of the process and problems, which is interesting if you're into the supply side of things.
The white iPhone 4 will ship at the end of July
It's become the stuff of legend over the past few weeks, but if you've been holding out for a white iPhone 4, well, today's not your lucky day -- but Apple's now saying it'll ship by the end of July. That's later than the previously announced middle of July ship date, but we're going to keep believing that when it does arrive, it'll be the answer to all of our problems. Be sure to check out our live coverage of the iPhone press event here!
Breaking: Fake white iPhone 4 is not delayed
If the KIRF arrives before the KIRFed, then it's debatable who's KIRFing who, right? Either way, we ordered two.
Nice white iPhone 4 mod
While we wait for Apple to begin selling white iPhones, people have been coming up with their own solutions. The folks at Engadget used several spare parts to build theirs. But TUAW reader Trevor took a decidedly simpler approach. First, he created a file with a JPEG of the vintage Apple logo and then sent it to Gelaskins' upload tool. From there, the process is simple. Using the online tool, drag the uploaded image to the iPhone 4 template and set it just so. You can even create matching wallpaper. Finally, make your purchase and let the Gelaskins worker bees do the rest. Yes, it's just a stick-on skin, but the vintage logo ads a bit of cool and, unlike Engadget's solution, all of the original parts are intact.
DIY white iPhone 4 has a few rough edges
Engadget just couldn't wait to get a white iPhone 4, so they took a page from Dr. Frankenstein and whipped up their own using a couple of "spare" white components. Unfortunately the mod now lacks a white Home button, the tiny mesh grille in the earpiece and covers on the camera and LED on the back, but it's as close as you're going to get to a white iPhone 4 this week. Unless you work at Colorware, I guess. One interesting note: the white of the parts they bought is a little warmer than the 4's dock, so Engadget (and I) guess Apple is getting that just right before they release the thing into the wild. Yes, Apple and resident chief designer Jon Ive are that particular about color.
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.
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]
White iPhone 4 casing shows up in yet more photos
Steve Jobs didn't seem too upset over the story of the lost / stolen iPhone 4 last night at D8, so we're sure he won't mind that yet more parts for his next-gen phone have leaked out -- this time PowerBookMedic.com has scored the white version of the casing. As usual, the Engadget staff is now in a fierce and somewhat disturbingly violent debate over the relative style merits of black and white iPhones, so don't look for us to get much done for the rest of the day. Many more pics at the source link.
More pictures of the rumored white iPhone
Much like Captain Ahab, Taiwanese Apple fan site tw.apple.pro is in pursuit of something elusive and white. They've posted pictures of what they claim to be the 4G iPhone with white casing on the back and front. Last week, the same site posted side-by-side photos of black and white faceplates supposedly meant for the new iPhone. I know it's a matter of aesthetics, but I prefer the iPhone with the black faceplace (speaking as a guy with a white 3GS). The photo looks legit, so we're not doubting it, though the home button looks seriously recessed. Perhaps there's a case or layer of plastic on top of it, or maybe a shadow is playing tricks. In any case, it looks like there will be an all-white iPhone 4G. So there you go. Update: As of this writing, tw.apple.pro is down. We'll let you know if it returns.
