14 DAY TRIAL // It may still be a while before Apple actually ships the delayed, yet elusive white version of the iPhone 4, but an update to one of the company’s iOS utility applications seems to indicate that the wait is almost over.
As originally spotted by a MacRumors forum user (via BGR), the Apple Store iOS application lists the option of reserving a white-model iPhone 4, available in both 16GB and 32GB configurations.
“Got the update for the Apple Store app (v1.1) a few minutes ago,” Bandolier writes. “When you open the app, press Store, Reservations, Reserve Products, iPhone, and from there you are now able to select the white iPhone 4 (16 and 32 GB) to reserve.”
As noted above, it remains to be seen exactly when Apple decides to ship out these devices, as the company is known to be struggling with some annoying manufacturing flaws discovered on the original batch of handsets.
Apparently, one of these flaws was an uneven white coating that showed visible differences between the phone’s front panel and the paint behind the home screen button.
This, however, cannot be confirmed by Softpedia.
Apple’s only justification for not shipping white the iPhone 4 on time was that these models “have proven more challenging to manufacture than expected, and as a result they will not be available until the second half of July.”
However, sensing that it would not be able to meet its second, self-imposed deadline, on July 23, 2010 Apple issued a second statement on the white iPhone 4, saying:
“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.”