White Apple iPhone 4 spotted in retail packaging at Vodafone UK
An official, final white iPhone 4, in its actual retail packaging, has been photographed at carrier Vodafone U.K., with details suggesting the device will go on sale next week.
Pictures of the device were snapped on Friday and sent to Engadget, along with details on the soon-to-arrive hardware. Vodafone's computer inventory systems have reportedly shown that the white iPhone 4 model is already shipping in, but the carrier has said they cannot be sold until next week.
The pictures are of a 16GB unit with model number MC604B/A. Based on Apple's numbering scheme, it is presumed that the 32GB white iPhone 4 would be model MC606B/A.
"As the story goes, the carrier's point-of-sale system rang it up as a black iPhone, and shortly after the sale went down, Voda sent out a notice to halt sale of these gems 'until next week,'" the report said.
Earlier this month, both Bloomberg and Reuters reported that the white iPhone 4 was due to go on sale in a matter of weeks. The device was first announced last summer when the iPhone 4 was unveiled, but Apple has delayed its sale numerous times.
Earlier this year, AppleInsider learned that Apple had turned to a Japanese company to craft a new paint material in order to overcome the manufacturing problems of the white iPhone 4. If the device does go on sale next week, it would be about 10 months later than was originally anticipated.
Apple may have decided to push forward to sell the white iPhone 4, rather than scrapping it altogether, because the company does not plan to release a fifth-generation iPhone this June, as it has done in years past. But numerous reports have indicated that Apple intends to release its anticipated "iPhone 5" later than usual this year, arriving by late September at the earliest.
Pictures of the device were snapped on Friday and sent to Engadget, along with details on the soon-to-arrive hardware. Vodafone's computer inventory systems have reportedly shown that the white iPhone 4 model is already shipping in, but the carrier has said they cannot be sold until next week.
The pictures are of a 16GB unit with model number MC604B/A. Based on Apple's numbering scheme, it is presumed that the 32GB white iPhone 4 would be model MC606B/A.
"As the story goes, the carrier's point-of-sale system rang it up as a black iPhone, and shortly after the sale went down, Voda sent out a notice to halt sale of these gems 'until next week,'" the report said.
Earlier this month, both Bloomberg and Reuters reported that the white iPhone 4 was due to go on sale in a matter of weeks. The device was first announced last summer when the iPhone 4 was unveiled, but Apple has delayed its sale numerous times.
Earlier this year, AppleInsider learned that Apple had turned to a Japanese company to craft a new paint material in order to overcome the manufacturing problems of the white iPhone 4. If the device does go on sale next week, it would be about 10 months later than was originally anticipated.
Apple may have decided to push forward to sell the white iPhone 4, rather than scrapping it altogether, because the company does not plan to release a fifth-generation iPhone this June, as it has done in years past. But numerous reports have indicated that Apple intends to release its anticipated "iPhone 5" later than usual this year, arriving by late September at the earliest.
Comments
As silly as it sounds, they should do like they did with iPads - several hot colors
Skip
And people are hungry for this why?
As silly as it sounds, they should do like they did with iPads - several hot colors
Skip
Hot colors like black and white? Or did you mean ipods?
Apple wouldn't release it if there wasn't a demand for it. The average tech junkie is gonna say " skip" cause we all know a new one will be out soon.
I'm holding out with my 3GS for the iPhone 6. By then we might have a 64gb model, LTE, NFC and maybe a bigger screen. My guess is apple doesn't wanna sacrifice the price, battery consumption and size of their iPhone for LTE since it's just kicking off.
They might surprise us with a Verizon LTE iPhone 5 since Verizon is beating AT&T to the punch pretty fast. Its almost in every major city now. Not to mention there is the sim card in the Verizon iPhone...
This year is working out fine. Looking like no new iPhone proper, just a slight spec bump (iPhone 4S), so that saves me a few quid till next year. My contract is up in June so I can drop to an O2 simplicity tariff for at half the cost of my current iPhone tariff for a year and then get the iPhone 5 next summer.
Now the rumour is back to a larger display at 3.7? with the same resolution, a larger Home Button that adds more functionality somehow, and a super slim design that both resembles an iPod Touch and MBA.
If they do add a new display size I think we?ll need to have had a demo for a few months with Xcode on the ready so developers can optimized their apps. Apple won?t simply do the stretching that Android has no problem with and I don?t think secrecy trumps going into 2012 with a lack of optimized apps for an app phone.
What exactly is attractive about these? The toy-like look and clash between the rectangular screen and bright round casing is butt-ugly to my eyes. I can't imagine a light, glossy border will benefit viewing contrast, either. I thought Apple moved away from white for a good reason...
First of all, white consumer electronics are very popular in some important markets, like Europe and Southeast Asia. 59% of Apple's revenue is from international markets, so from a business standpoint, if a large portion of your customers enjoy white products, it makes good sense to provide a choice when possible.
It's really just a personal style choice. What shoes are you wearing today? Do you think they look good? Do you care?
Apple moved away from white, not because of aesthetics, but because aluminum is a more environmentally friendly material than polycarbonate plastic. Note that glass-faced products like the iPad are available in white because it's just paint (black or white) on glass.
White iPhones will show dirt and grime. No thanks.
Not the white iPhone. It's magical.
I think the iPhone 4 is a work of art. I wonder if 20 years down the road some of these Apple gadgets, black or white will be collectors items. Maybe they have sold way too many of these to ever become collectors items or even rare 20 years later.
Millions and will probably be sold out for a while. Every woman wants a white iphone4 with a pink bumper case or some other pink case. 10 months late? The demand hasn't gone away and that's why it's coming soon..
My wifey will be very happy on Mother's Day. White bumper. She has been suffering with a 3G that is crawling.
White iPhones will show dirt and grime. No thanks.
Er... The white is *behind* the glass (which is the cause of the delay) and as such shouldn't get dirty.
I have a white iPad 2, it is nice because of the white colour being behind the glass. Nothing like the days of the white Macs which do admittedly get rather dirty after a while. This is a whole different generation of white.
What exactly is attractive about these? The toy-like look and clash between the rectangular screen and bright round casing is butt-ugly to my eyes. I can't imagine a light, glossy border will benefit viewing contrast, either. I thought Apple moved away from white for a good reason...
Nah, people still like white for a reason. Toy-like or not, like I said my iPad 2 with the white *behind* the glass gives it a certain purity and elegance which is surprisingly interesting. Apple has done their research and women particularly love the white gadgets.
This year is working out fine. Looking like no new iPhone proper, just a slight spec bump (iPhone 4S), so that saves me a few quid till next year. My contract is up in June so I can drop to an O2 simplicity tariff for at half the cost of my current iPhone tariff for a year and then get the iPhone 5 next summer.
I'm hoping my iPhone 4 will hold out till the iPhone 6 too, and I can skip the iPhone 5 because I am on a two-year contract. Just need to RMA the phone due to the home button having lost some sensitivity now... apparently a common issue and also why Apple is looking to redesign it with either no home button or something else.
Not the white iPhone. It's magical.
Yes, in the sense that you never actually physically touch the white surface, it's covered by the glass...!
With the release of the white one so close to the release of the iPhone 5, i wonder if the relative rarity of the white one will make it a collectors item? Or will it still sell the "millions" some are predicting?
I think the iPhone 4 is a work of art. I wonder if 20 years down the road some of these Apple gadgets, black or white will be collectors items. Maybe they have sold way too many of these to ever become collectors items or even rare 20 years later.
Oh, I think there'll be millions of white iPhone4 sold around the world for the next few months as it is released to the carriers. I'm still keeping my silver iPod mini (1st gen) even though it doesn't work just because it is the first great digital music player I ever had. And I'm still keeping my iPhone 3G because it still works (even though I stopped using it for quite a while now) and also because in August 2008 (jeez, almost 3 years now