After making its debut at WWDC, the highly anticipated White iPhone 4 has been delayed not once, but twice. While Apple has placed the blame on an unidentified manufacturing issue, a recent circulating rumor suggested that the problem lies with the less-than-desirable properties of the white paint that is use to give color to the handset. Just when we thought this controversy was behind us, another rumor fresh out of WhiteiPhone4Now suggests that the delay is the result of a manufacturing glitch which produces rough and bent handset frames.
To bolster this theory, WhiteiPhone4Now has published images of a bent and misaligned white iPhone 4 frame that resulted from this supposed manufacturing snafu. According to the originating blog, all is not doom and gloom for prospective white iPhone owners as OEM sources claim to have solved this manufacturing problem and production of this much desired handset is back on track. Though we would like to jump for joy at the thought of a cornucopia of white iPhone 4 handsets, we would be wise to take this one with a grain of salt. Remember, this frame manufacturing issue is not currently verified and those purported images, well, they can be easily photoshopped.
One factor overlooked in the discussion surrounding the white iPhone availability is the pent up demand for the black iPhone 4 and the subsequent pressure on the manufacturing chain. Lest we forget, Steve Jobs confirmed during his Antennagate press event that Apple has sold 3 million iPhones in the first few weeks following launch. Further increasing demand, Apple also began its international roll out and launched the iPhone 4 in 17 new countries last week. With the black iPhone 4 flying off the shelves at a record pace in markets worldwide, is there even room to push out an adequate supply of white handsets?
[Via TUAW and WhiteiPhone4Now]
