You'd think that by now Apple and its suppliers would have enough experience working with white plastic or paint or whatever it the white bits are made of.
Maybe the white model will be a Verizon compatible phone
UPDATE: From a reader/Design Manager who knows a thing or two about mass manufacturing, white equipment may indeed be harder to produce than black:
"The process to make the back of the glass black is an electroplating process. This creates a very durable consistent and smooth black finish. To make white on the other hand you have to paint the back of the glass with white paint. It is difficult to create a smooth opaque look with the white. Also if the white paint goes on too thick it is difficult to glue the glass on because the glue will stick to the paint, but the paint will pull off of the glass. "
Hmmm. You'da hoped they'd have worked this out before announcing the launch date. Bad form. And I bet Steve is royally pissed!
UPDATE: From a reader/Design Manager who knows a thing or two about mass manufacturing, white equipment may indeed be harder to produce than black:
"The process to make the back of the glass black is an electroplating process. This creates a very durable consistent and smooth black finish. To make white on the other hand you have to paint the back of the glass with white paint. It is difficult to create a smooth opaque look with the white. Also if the white paint goes on too thick it is difficult to glue the glass on because the glue will stick to the paint, but the paint will pull off of the glass. "
UPDATE: From a reader/Design Manager who knows a thing or two about mass manufacturing, white equipment may indeed be harder to produce than black:
"The process to make the back of the glass black is an electroplating process. This creates a very durable consistent and smooth black finish. To make white on the other hand you have to paint the back of the glass with white paint. It is difficult to create a smooth opaque look with the white. Also if the white paint goes on too thick it is difficult to glue the glass on because the glue will stick to the paint, but the paint will pull off of the glass. "
This entire cluster doesn't instill confidence. I'm leaning back toward black now. I don't want to wonder every time it gets hot if it's going to turn brown.
They paint it? I don't know jack about any of this stuff but that is really surprising to me.
I've done some ceramics manufacture and that is almost certainly the case. There are impurities in glass manufacturing processes. They will be far more visible on white glass than on black.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DJinTX
UPDATE: From a reader/Design Manager who knows a thing or two about mass manufacturing, white equipment may indeed be harder to produce than black:
"The process to make the back of the glass black is an electroplating process. This creates a very durable consistent and smooth black finish. To make white on the other hand you have to paint the back of the glass with white paint. It is difficult to create a smooth opaque look with the white. Also if the white paint goes on too thick it is difficult to glue the glass on because the glue will stick to the paint, but the paint will pull off of the glass. "
I don't believe that's true. The black and white colors appear to be pigments that penetrate all the way through - not painted or plated onto the surface.
I don't mind waiting till next month. Glad Apple finally clarified the situation. The last minute announcement suggests they were trying really hard to fill those pre-orders at Best Buy (and elsewhere?) for launch day.
Being in manufacturing I think one of two things happened. Something went wrong with the color injection process or what I think is more likely, they simply used all available resources to crank out as many black ones they could knowing there was going to be a shortage.
Completely agree with your second thought. Judging by the reactions to the white color on this forum, it's been either hot or cold, mostly cold. I own the white 3G and bought it becuase it was different. Although i'm not crazy that they made the front face white as well, I'm waiting for this color anyway because it's different and easier to spot. On a side note, i would have prefered a frosted glass or a green/blue tempered look over the straight white, since it is glass and all, but i'll take it!
I doubt it has to do with the durability of the white paint. Apple said that the manufacturering process was challenging, but it didn't specify how. My guess is it simply has to do with supply constraints. If one were to look at 3G/3GS sales of black and white models, I'm sure you would find that black outsells white considerably. Therefore, in order to crank out enough iPhone 4s to meet launch day demand, Apple knows to concentrate on black models. I'm sure Apple doesn't have one line dedicated to white and another for black; they alternate the paint cycles. As it takes time and money to retool the paint machines, producing white models is out of the question until Apple has supplied the initial demand and has enough stock of the black models to then take time and produce the white models.
Since the whole top appears as one piece, obviously some must be clear for the display.
So... how is it the edges appear black(or white).
Do the new 4's have a fused together clear and black(white) banding or ???
i believe it was stated somewhere (or in the Keynote from SJ) that the glass is a composite glass that they have developed specifically for this device. I also believe SJ made a mention taht the color is somehow "infuzed" or the pigment in part of the glass formula itself. That could explain why white is more difficult to produce. Getting the consistancy of white over black is more difficult.
You'd think that by now Apple and its suppliers would have enough experience working with white plastic or paint or whatever it the white bits are made of.
Maybe the white model will be a Verizon compatible phone
When the white 3G model arrived, the black ones sold out with plenty of white ones laying around. Apple did right by producing the more popular black models first, then later produce the white ones.
Completely agree with your second thought. Judging by the reactions to the white color on this forum, it's been either hot or cold, mostly cold. I own the white 3G and bought it becuase it was different. Although i'm not crazy that they made the front face white as well, I'm waiting for this color anyway because it's different and easier to spot. On a side note, i would have prefered a frosted glass or a green/blue tempered look over the straight white, since it is glass and all, but i'll take it!
I totally agree. Frosted backs on both the black and white models would have looked very sharp. Although, if the frosting creates texture (instead of the slipperyness of glass) then I think this would have only added to the potential to scratch the surface. I'm not a scientist, but I think the ultra low friction of smooth glass-like surface is what helps it resist scratching.
Maybe if the frosted layer was just beneath a super thin layer of smooth glass you could have the best of both worlds.
I have a white 3G iPhone, which I love, but, not so sure about the completely white of the iPhone 4. It looks a tad cheap in photos, so, I'll have to wait until I can see one in person before deciding to get a new white iPhone 4. I do like that they are a little more rare and harder to manufacture.
Comments
Maybe the white model will be a Verizon compatible phone
Lame... Extremely L. A. M. E.
That's one of those self-referential posts, right? Sort of like GNU?
But the white iPhones are just painted white on the back of the glass the same as the black ones have a black backing, aren't they?
Well, that is the question isn't it.
Since the whole top appears as one piece, obviously some must be clear for the display.
So... how is it the edges appear black(or white).
Do the new 4's have a fused together clear and black(white) banding or ???
What exactly are you questioning?
quite clearly, why is more "challenging" to produce white coloured iPhone?
UPDATE: From a reader/Design Manager who knows a thing or two about mass manufacturing, white equipment may indeed be harder to produce than black:
"The process to make the back of the glass black is an electroplating process. This creates a very durable consistent and smooth black finish. To make white on the other hand you have to paint the back of the glass with white paint. It is difficult to create a smooth opaque look with the white. Also if the white paint goes on too thick it is difficult to glue the glass on because the glue will stick to the paint, but the paint will pull off of the glass. "
Hmmm. You'da hoped they'd have worked this out before announcing the launch date. Bad form. And I bet Steve is royally pissed!
UPDATE: From a reader/Design Manager who knows a thing or two about mass manufacturing, white equipment may indeed be harder to produce than black:
"The process to make the back of the glass black is an electroplating process. This creates a very durable consistent and smooth black finish. To make white on the other hand you have to paint the back of the glass with white paint. It is difficult to create a smooth opaque look with the white. Also if the white paint goes on too thick it is difficult to glue the glass on because the glue will stick to the paint, but the paint will pull off of the glass. "
Makes sense. Thanks!
UPDATE: From a reader/Design Manager who knows a thing or two about mass manufacturing, white equipment may indeed be harder to produce than black:
"The process to make the back of the glass black is an electroplating process. This creates a very durable consistent and smooth black finish. To make white on the other hand you have to paint the back of the glass with white paint. It is difficult to create a smooth opaque look with the white. Also if the white paint goes on too thick it is difficult to glue the glass on because the glue will stick to the paint, but the paint will pull off of the glass. "
This entire cluster doesn't instill confidence. I'm leaning back toward black now. I don't want to wonder every time it gets hot if it's going to turn brown.
They paint it? I don't know jack about any of this stuff but that is really surprising to me.
Anyone know why it is harder to produce?
Speculative: Imperfections in white glass show up more easily than impurities in black glass?
Wonder if it started experiencing the same discoloration that Macbooks did?
I've done some ceramics manufacture and that is almost certainly the case. There are impurities in glass manufacturing processes. They will be far more visible on white glass than on black.
UPDATE: From a reader/Design Manager who knows a thing or two about mass manufacturing, white equipment may indeed be harder to produce than black:
"The process to make the back of the glass black is an electroplating process. This creates a very durable consistent and smooth black finish. To make white on the other hand you have to paint the back of the glass with white paint. It is difficult to create a smooth opaque look with the white. Also if the white paint goes on too thick it is difficult to glue the glass on because the glue will stick to the paint, but the paint will pull off of the glass. "
I don't believe that's true. The black and white colors appear to be pigments that penetrate all the way through - not painted or plated onto the surface.
Being in manufacturing I think one of two things happened. Something went wrong with the color injection process or what I think is more likely, they simply used all available resources to crank out as many black ones they could knowing there was going to be a shortage.
Completely agree with your second thought. Judging by the reactions to the white color on this forum, it's been either hot or cold, mostly cold. I own the white 3G and bought it becuase it was different. Although i'm not crazy that they made the front face white as well, I'm waiting for this color anyway because it's different and easier to spot. On a side note, i would have prefered a frosted glass or a green/blue tempered look over the straight white, since it is glass and all, but i'll take it!
Well, that is the question isn't it.
Since the whole top appears as one piece, obviously some must be clear for the display.
So... how is it the edges appear black(or white).
Do the new 4's have a fused together clear and black(white) banding or ???
i believe it was stated somewhere (or in the Keynote from SJ) that the glass is a composite glass that they have developed specifically for this device. I also believe SJ made a mention taht the color is somehow "infuzed" or the pigment in part of the glass formula itself. That could explain why white is more difficult to produce. Getting the consistancy of white over black is more difficult.
You'd think that by now Apple and its suppliers would have enough experience working with white plastic or paint or whatever it the white bits are made of.
Maybe the white model will be a Verizon compatible phone
Except the iPhone 4 is not made of plastic.
Completely agree with your second thought. Judging by the reactions to the white color on this forum, it's been either hot or cold, mostly cold. I own the white 3G and bought it becuase it was different. Although i'm not crazy that they made the front face white as well, I'm waiting for this color anyway because it's different and easier to spot. On a side note, i would have prefered a frosted glass or a green/blue tempered look over the straight white, since it is glass and all, but i'll take it!
I totally agree. Frosted backs on both the black and white models would have looked very sharp. Although, if the frosting creates texture (instead of the slipperyness of glass) then I think this would have only added to the potential to scratch the surface. I'm not a scientist, but I think the ultra low friction of smooth glass-like surface is what helps it resist scratching.
Maybe if the frosted layer was just beneath a super thin layer of smooth glass you could have the best of both worlds.
That's one of those self-referential posts, right? Sort of like GNU?
No more than yours is (yet another) off-topic, immature personal attack masking itself as wit...
As for the unavailability of white iPhones at launch due to some 'manufacturing issue': L A M E.