Phone News: White iPhone finally coming to the UK!

Henry Ford famously said that his Model T was “available in any colour you like, as long as it was black”. The sentiment seems to have been adopted by Apple with the release of its iPhone 4, but the unthinkable may actually happen soon. They mythical white iPhone 4 may finally be released after close sources to the manufacturers making the iPhone 4 have revealed the white version of the must have gadget may be unveiled in late April.

Since being announced in 2010 during the original iPhone 4 launch, the white iPhone was reportedly delayed after Apple was rumoured to have not been satisfied with the quality of the white paint used on the glass displays for the mobile phone. Despite the Corporate Vice President, Phil Schiller, assuring consumers that the white version of the phone is on its way, the company has yet to confirm when it would be released.

Unfortunately the repeated delays have made obtaining a white iPhone as easy as obtaining the latest iPad 2 - incredibly hard. Frustrated, intrepid hackers decided to go it alone and release a stop-gap measure with a ‘hack it yourself’ kit, replacing the original black coloured glass with custom made ones shipped from China, costing a premium price of $150 - $200 dollars. Apple quickly reacted by forcing the hacker in question to cease and desist or feel the wrath of their enormous legal team.

That said, it looks as if the smartphone manufacturer has learnt from its previous mistakes on the matter with the release of the iPad 2 earlier this year. The company announced that both black and white versions of the tablet computer would be available without delays from their production lines.

Although the long awaited white iPhone 4 can’t come any sooner for Apple diehards, there’s a biq question on the horizon. If rumours are to be believed, the iPhone 5 will soon be announced at the annual Apple event in June, so surely it wouldn’t be worth buying a white iPhone 4 if it is released now?

There is no need for Apple to worry about users holding out for the next generation as it already knows from experience that prospective iPhone buyers have an irrational will to adopt their device as soon as, over the need to wait for the new one to be released. This desire for all things Apple as a lifestyle choice and representation is rarely seen outside of the brand, with few other manufacturers or handsets holding the same strong branding. Only time will tell whether rivals HTC and Motorola will achieve the same status with their release of new iPhone killers, the HTC Desire S and the Motorola Atrix.