Why the elusive white iPhone 4 is a waste of time

Alongside the release of the iPhone 4 in mid-to-late June, Apple stated that the white model of the smart phone was “challenging to manufacture” and pushed back the release date to “the second half of July.” However, when the second half of July finally rolled around, the white iPhone 4 was nowhere to be seen, and Apple released a second statement about the white iPhone. Again, “challenging to manufacture,” and again, delayed. But this time, instead of even giving a rough estimate on when the white model would be available, Apple ominously pushed it back “until later this year,” meaning it’ll be released any time from yesterday through December. Most likely closer the latter. After holding out an entire month just for a cosmetic change, is it really worth waiting even longer, this time for an unspecified amount of time? Probably not.

First, it’s just a cosmetic change. Perhaps waiting one month for your model color of choice is reasonable, but any longer than that is just too much. The white iPhone 4 will do exactly what the original colored model will do (perhaps with the exception of the notorious antenna issue fixed). If you really care about your phone’s color, grab a white case from any number of online vendors.

Depending on how long it takes Apple to release the white iPhone 4, it may be obsolete in a matter of months. If the white model isn’t released until November, which seems fully plausible, that’s a full six months after the original model. In technology time, that’s years. And with the new iPhone 5 being released June 2011, it’s simply not worth the wait; the white iPhone 4 will be ancient by the time its successor comes around next summer.

And speaking of November, demand will only get higher, and supply will only be lower as we move closer to (and especially during) the holiday 2010 season. Even if you manage to hold out an extra six months for a white iPhone, there’s absolutely no guarantee that you’ll get it on time, let alone at all.

To those still standing on their widow’s wharf, waiting for the white iPhone 4 to come back from sea, don’t hold your breath; the time that ship comes in (if it comes in, that is), your love may be an old man who doesn’t even remember your face.

(image via Wikipedia)

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Tagged as: Apple, iPhone, iPhone 4