The Real Reason White iPhone 4 Is Delayed (Hint: The Camera)

Leander Kahney (2:00 am PDT, Oct 27 2010)

The Real Reason White iPhone 4 Is Delayed (Hint: The Camera)

The white iPhone 4 has been delayed because it can’t take good pictures, a source with connections at Apple tells me.

The white case leaks light back in — especially when the flash is used to take pictures.

On Tuesday, Apple said the white iPhone has been delayed until next spring.

This is the third time the white iPhone has been pushed back: first to July, then the end of the year and now to next spring.

Once again, Apple didn’t explain the delay. In the past, the company has said the white iPhone was “more challenging to manufacture than we originally expected.”

Rumors have blamed light leaking from the case or a color-mismatched Home button.

The delay is related to light leakage, as previously rumored. But it isn’t light leaking out from the iPhone, it’s light leaking back in.


The white iPhone 4 can’t take accurate photographs. The handset’s semi-translucent glass case leaks light in, ruining pictures taken with the internal camera, especially when the built-in flash is used.

“You don’t get accurate pictures on the white iPhone because of the color of the glass back. It washes out the pictures,” said a source with connections to Apple who asked to remain anonymous.

The source said Apple has been struggling to isolate the camera sensor. The problem may demand a complete redesign, they said, hence the string of delays.

The source said the problem only surfaced at the last minute at a secret testing facility Apple has set up for case manufacturers.

To qualify for Apple’s “Made for iPhone” program, case makers must prove that their cases don’t interfere with the iPhone’s ability to take photographs. Apple has strict rules for the width of the hole for the camera and flash.

It was only during testing of some early cases that the problem was found.

Apple has had no problem selling the black iPhone 4. Q4 sales rocketed 91 percent to 14.1 million handsets sold in 89 countries, earning Apple $8.6 billion.

The news debunks rumors that the white handset’s release is imminent.

Apple couldn’t be reached for comment.

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21 comments »

  • http://www.appculture.net DM Cook

    Couldn’t a “full redesign” just mean slightly changing the material of the back casing? I mean, its not as though they’ve made hundreds of thousands of them yet… right?

    Still, a very good reason if true. Can’t imagine the PR nightmare that would have been if they had shipped it without a working camera…

  • JayeDee

    This makes a whole lot more sense. I suspect they are trying to keep the case maker and trying not to lose the material they use for the case. I guess I’m wondering will I still want one after they solve this little problem. It’s interesting and I hope someday they post the process and the problems they went through to get the white phone out to the masses.

  • Kory

    I haven’t noticed this issue with my white iPhone 4 with the OEM backplate. I had my black iPhone converted to white about 2 weeks ago and since then have taken multiple photos in both dark (bar) and bright (outside daylight) conditions. The photos appear to be the same quality as they were when the back plate was black.

  • Jeff

    Yes, I believe it. I never did find a case that I did not have to really enlarge the holes around the flash and camera. A yellow case made the picture yellow, a red one red and a black one just dulled the picture. So a white case I would believe it..

  • http://www.richardlai.co.uk Richard Lai

    Yep, no problem with my white iPhone 4 either. I’ve been using my white parts pretty much since launch day.

  • Name (required)

    Just in time for Verizon.

  • bob

    BULL-CRAP.

  • bob

    The truth is they more likely to be that they shelved the white phone when the current design became a major headache on launch. The last thing they want to do is launch another iPhone 4 of any stripe or color. A cdma version would just sneak out a an internal component upgrade for verizon.

    nope iPhone 4 design is officially dead. And thank god for that.

  • http://mackeeper.zeobit.com/ MacKeeper_Fan_Modua

    There are a few of us, like myself who were actually waiting and anticipating the release of the White iPhone 4. My question is why doesn’t Apple just come out with a press release and flat out say, “Look we’re not making the White iPhone 4.”

    What’s with all the tightly closed mouths?

  • http://hal@mediamotions.com Hal

    Sounds most likely.

    I will say that EVERY case I’ve had for my iPhone 4 requires me to remove it to take flash photos. Even with the hole, the light is reflected back in and causes lots of odd effects in dark shots.

  • nanisani

    This makes no sense at all. How is light “leaking” in and affecting the images? Where is it leaking to? The reason third party cases might affect photo quality is because the edge of the opening might be too close to the flash and cause refraction which would result in an uneven flash. But what exactly does the white pigment in the phone itself do to effect the images? This is a non-explanation.

  • L3

    Clear, please.

  • Seshan

    Why couldn’t they put a rubber seal around the camera part? Wouldn’t that solve the problem?

  • Félix P

    This makes no sense. I work with plastics and no one would do such a pathetic mistake, seriously, you think Apple would accept a wrong polymer setting? Come on!

    What about the signal problem? Don’t you think they want to get it fixed? Making more rubber bumpers makes more sense to you?

  • Jason

    If apple did ship a phone with a dysfunctional camera they would just offer a free black back for all affected customers in the same way they offered a free rubber band to fix the antenna problem.

  • bob

    The white case leaks light back in — especially when the flash is used to take pictures

    Are you some kind of moron? Leaks back into WHAT exactly. The camera has a F***** lens!
    Are you suggesting that internal the camera there is ANOTHER Lens? Or that the lens has a transparent housing? Or that the digital camera circuitry is affected by ambient light not coming from the source?

    You are insane.
    .

    • cinemonkey

      ‘Or that the digital camera circuitry is affected by ambient light not coming from the source?’

      Yes the image sensor is light sensitive!
      All cameras have light proof housings, Film or digital.

  • Jay

    It’s just a PHONE, people, for crying out loud. Why are you so desperate to have it in shiny (dirt-attracting) white? You want a white phone that badly, get a regular phone and a white case for it. Sheesh.

  • Anonymous

    Thank you For good article but White iPhone 4 will be hidden in weeks
    http://www.technews5.com/2011/04/white-iphone-4-will-be-hidden-in-weeks.html
    The white iPhone 4 has become the mythical beast in Apple’s product line up. First expected to launch alongside the standard black iPhone 4 last year,

  • http://www.tomasha.com/mobile-songs/pakistani-songs/pakistani-songs.php download pakistani songs

    They actually having a hard time trying to fix the antenna problem. The iPhone 4 came out too buggy just had one replace after two weeks of purchase. Happy with a black one now :)

  • Juliekeyes

     Are there still problems with the Verizon White I phone as of today ( May 22, 2010 ) ?  Should I get the black one?  Thank you

About the author

Leander Kahney

is the editor and publisher of Cult of Mac, and author of three books about technology culture: Inside Steve’s Brain, the New York Times bestseller about Steve Jobs; Cult of Mac; and Cult of iPod. Leander has written for Wired, MacWeek, Scientific American, and The Guardian in London. Follow Leander on Twitter @lkahney and Facebook.

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