White iPhone 4 Delayed, Cases Being Shipped Out
Apple Inc’s newest white iPhone 4 will not be available until later this year, as the manufacture of the model is proving to be surprisingly difficult.
In a brief statement, Apple said that its black iPhone 4 had not been affected.
As for the white one, the company said it has “continued to be more challenging to manufacture that we originally expected.”
Apple did not provide further details in its statement or give a date when the new color would be available.
The iPhone 4, although flying off the shelves quickly, has created a series of woes for Apple, the biggest being the antenna problems that has caused many dropped calls.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs defended the smartphone last week in a press conference, but offered consumers free phone cases to address reception concerns.
On Friday, Apple began handing out those free cases, or bumpers, to its customers.
Apple made the free bumpers available through an application that could be downloaded to iPhones from the company’s online iTunes store.
A message at the iTunes Case Program page says: “If you are experiencing reception issues with your iPhone 4, you are eligible to receive an iPhone 4 Bumper or other select third-party case from Apple at no charge.”
Users can download the app onto their iPhone 4 and apply for the free Bumper or case. Apple is hoping the 29-dollar case will put an end to the debate over the antenna on what Apple CEO Steve Jobs calls “perhaps the best product we’ve ever made.”
The bumper that fits around the sides of the phone will be free to all consumers who purchase an iPhone 4 through the end of September, and customers who already purchased the case will be reimbursed.
The iPhone 4 has had numerous complaints about dropped calls from the moment it hits stores last month. Some users claimed they lost reception when holding the lower left corner of the phone. The unique antenna wraps completely around the smartphone and has been referred to as the “death grip.”
The bumpers being handed out are designed to prevent users from touching the external antennas on the rims of the handset.
　
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