What is really holding back the availability of the white iPhone 4? Apple did announce back on June 23rd that there was some type of manufacturing difficulty:
White models of Apple’s new iPhone 4 have proven more challenging to manufacture than expected, and as a result they will not be available until the second half of July.
What exactly is that challenge? According to 21st Century Business Herald via Engadget the source of the problem is Lens Technology, a China-based company responsible for the custom hardened glass that covers the front and back of the iPhone 4. The factory is still in the process of determining the right mixture of paint thickness and opacity. I wonder why that’s so much more difficult than black.
Lens Technology’s CNC machines have the capacity to cut three iPhone 4 glass covers every hour. Even at full capacity I think we can reasonably expect the white iPhone 4 will be in short supply based on current demand. Steve Jobs announced that the white iPhone 4 will available at the end of July during the antennagate press event that was held on July 16th.
