Looks like the white iPhone 4 is just about to be released.
One customer in the UK was able to buy a 16GB white iPhone 4 from Vodaphone, and an internal memo from BelCompany in the Netherlands says the near-mythical handset is being released next week — Wednesday, April 27th.
In addition, retailers in Europe are getting supplies of the iPhone with “do not open until April 27” stickers, says 9to5Mac.
It is not clear, however, if that is the worldwide launch for the white iPhone 4. But it certainly looks like it.
It appears the white handset will come in 16GB and 32GB configurations. Supplies are likely to be severely constrained. The white iPhone 4 was supposed to be available last year when the iPhone 4 launched but has been repeatedly delayed for manufacturing reasons. It’s likely that the white, semi-translucent body ruined photos taken with the built-in flash, as we exclusively reported last year.
The white iPhone 4 obtained by the Vodafone customer appears to have a new proximity sensor. The black iPhone 4 has suffered number of problems with the proximity sensor.
In the Netherlands, T-Mobile supposedly has one month exclusive on the white iPhone 4.
Of course, the availability of a new iPhone 4 model raises questions about the iPhone 5. Apple has traditionally released a new iPhone every summer. But why would the company release the white iPhone so late in the product cycle, just months before it is superseded by a fifth-generation handset?
Indeed, it increasingly looks like Apple will disrupt its product cycle this year. Several reports suggest the iPhone 5 will be released in the fall at the earliest, likely at the end of September.
Leander Kahney is the editor and publisher of Cult of Mac.
Leander is a longtime technology reporter and the author of six acclaimed books about Apple, including two New York Times bestsellers: Jony Ive: The Genius Behind Apple’s Greatest Products and Inside Steve’s Brain, a biography of Steve Jobs.
He’s also written a top-selling biography of Apple CEO Tim Cook and authored Cult of Mac and Cult of iPod, which both won prestigious design awards. Most recently, he was co-author of Cult of Mac, 2nd Edition.
Leander has been reporting about Apple and technology for nearly 30 years.
Before founding Cult of Mac as an independent publication, Leander was news editor at Wired.com, where he was responsible for the day-to-day running of the Wired.com website. He headed up a team of six section editors, a dozen reporters and a large pool of freelancers. Together the team produced a daily digest of stories about the impact of science and technology, and won several awards, including several Webby Awards, 2X Knight-Batten Awards for Innovation in Journalism and the 2010 MIN (Magazine Industry Newsletter) award for best blog, among others.
Before being promoted to news editor, Leander was Wired.com’s senior reporter, primarily covering Apple. During that time, Leander published a ton of scoops, including the first in-depth report about the development of the iPod. Leander attended almost every keynote speech and special product launch presented by Steve Jobs, including the historic launches of the iPhone and iPad. He also reported from almost every Macworld Expo in the late ’90s and early ‘2000s, including, sadly, the last shows in Boston, San Francisco and Tokyo. His reporting for Wired.com formed the basis of the first Cult of Mac book, and subsequently this website.
Before joining Wired, Leander was a senior reporter at the legendary MacWeek, the storied and long-running weekly that documented Apple and its community in the 1980s and ’90s.
Leander has written for Wired magazine (including the Issue 16.04 cover story about Steve Jobs’ leadership at Apple, entitled Evil/Genius), Scientific American, The Guardian, The Observer, The San Francisco Chronicle and many other publications.
Leander is an expert on:
Apple and Apple history
Steve Jobs, Jony Ive, Tim Cook and Apple leadership
Apple community
iPhone and iOS
iPad and iPadOS
Mac and macOS
Apple Watch and watchOS
Apple TV and tvOS
AirPods
Leander has a postgrad diploma in artificial intelligence from the University of Aberdeen, and a BSc (Hons) in experimental psychology from the University of Sussex.
He has a diploma in journalism from the UK’s National Council for the Training of Journalists.
Leander lives in San Francisco, California, and is married with four children. He’s an avid biker and has ridden in many long-distance bike events, including California’s legendary Death Ride.
You can find out more about Leander on LinkedIn and Facebook. You can follow him on X at @lkahney or Instagram.
12 responses to “White iPhone 4 Ahoy! Available Next Week, Already In UK”
I am confused to Why they are finally releasing this thing when the new 5 should be out in a few months.
I wonder if many consumers will take to the white iPhone 4 or will it become a hard-to-get novelty iPhone. Why are they mentioning constraints when no one knows what the demand will be. I’m sure the iHaters will be yapping about that no one will buy this white iPhone since it’s going to be replaced by the iPhone 5 shortly. I don’t see why that should be such a big deal. A white iPhone 4 will a capable smartphone even if it is a year old. Of course, after two more years on a contract it will be showing its age. The new iPhone will have an A5 processor and that puts the A4 model to shame already.
Omg, who cares? If anyone has actually held off on buying an iPhone 4 until the white one comes out. They need to be slapped and beaten.
I actually did hold off at the beginning when they kept “Threatening” to release it, but than it took so long the Newness wore off I I settled on waiting for the 5. If Apple had been Smart they would have never mentioned it, I would more than likely have a 4 rightt now and upgraded to a 5 when time came but alas I still have a 3G (not 3gs, 3g).
I agree, I have a 3G and I’m still waiting for an OMFG reason to upgrade. I was going to jump the gun for the 4th gen just because it’s a really beautiful product, but the iPhone 5 is months away. I have no problem with waiting, all iPhones are virtually the same anyway. Some are just better and faster than others. “Oh safari opens in 1 second instead of 5, OMG!” …I’m sure I can wait.
I would get the white iP4. If the upgrade on the iP5 is mostly design, 8MP camera, and A5 processor, I can wait. I’d much rather have an LTE one, but that won’t probably be in the 6h gen. I can’t wait any longer…I am done with my crappy phone. Plus I still like the design of the 4.