After posting pictures of our self-assembled white iPhone 4, we received more information on some of the manufacturing challenges Apple is facing with the albino iPhone model. For starters, just as we saw, Apple is having trouble getting the paint thick enough on the front display to be perfectly white while not having any light bleed — or transparency — without affecting the proximity sensor. There is also reportedly an issue with the actual paint itself, which we’re told is silkscreened on the front glass. Apple has had to come up with a paint mix that will stay white and won’t discolor, flake, etc. However, the back panels are totally fine (and we can confirm that), as there is no need for portions to remain clear for the LCD display. Lastly, we are told the reason the device isn’t perfectly white and is slightly discolored is that the binder Apple is/was using causes a slight off-color tint. In closing, our source let us know that Apple might have actually worked through these issues and that white iPhone 4s might not be so far away from shipping in the near future. Apple just probably left it open-ended so they wouldn’t crush expectations again. And again.
