White iPhone 4

A teenager and his parents earned $130,000 selling white iPhone 4 kits, but they have also earned the privilege of being sued by Apple. The company filed a complaint against the owners of WhiteiPhone4Now.com for selling unauthorized conversion kits including leaked parts from the Foxconn factory in Shenzhen, China.

The site went down after Apple sent them a letter to cease and desist operations at the beginning of December 2010. Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak is one high-profile customer of the site who converted his own iPhone 4 to white using one of the bootleg parts kits. Apple filed a voluntary dismissal in court at the same time it filed the complaint.

There's been much ado over nothing when it comes to differences between the white and black iPhone 4 lately. The most hyped involves an alleged increase in depth on the white model, listed in Apple's official specifications as 0.37 inches (9.3 mm). The depth, otherwise known as thickness from front to back, was widely reported to be 0.2 mm thicker than the black iPhone 4.

Apple has been criticized for not indicating the difference in its technical specifications, and users everywhere are fretting that iPhone 4 cases won't fit the white model properly. The only problem is that the difference in thickness is an illusion. Consumer Reports never shies away from an Apple controversy, and they promptly put the white iPhone 4 through rigorous testing with high-quality calipers.

Believe it or not, there are differences between the black and white iPhone 4 besides just color. Many have been waiting for Apple to finally launch this device in white after a 10-month delay. Now that the hardware is available, we can get a better idea of exactly what makes the hardware different in the two models. Apple has made some changes to make sure the white iPhone 4 functions the same as the black version.

The photo above, highlighted by AppleInsider clearly shows a modification to the camera sensor. The right camera, from the white iPhone 4, is recessed further back than the black one on the left. Although the sensors are the same, this difference in distance on the white iPhone 4 camera lens looks to be a compensation for additional light passing through the back of the device.

Well this time it's not the antenna, privacy issues or in-app purchasing. Now that the white iPhone 4 is on store shelves, the matter or its dimensions is causing a stir. Turns out the white model is 0.2 millimeters thicker than its black cousin (for the record that's 0.008 inches).

Credit for the photo above goes to Ryan Cash, who has posted several others on his blog comparing the two different units. He claimed that the 16GB white iPhone 4 immediately felt thicker in his hand compared to his 32GB black model. Now iPhone owners are scrambling to try different cases and make sure they fit on the white version.

Hallelujah! The white iPhone 4 has arrived. The Apple Store online lists both Verizon Wireless and AT&T Mobility models in white with a shipping time of 3-5 business days. The black models are shipping within 24 hours, but if you've waited this long for a white iPhone what's a few more days?

The white iPhone 4 makes no changes or updates to the current model hardware, except for the color of the exterior. Apple is offering the device in 16GB and 32GB versions at the exact same pricing as the black iPhone 4, $199 and $299 respectively. Retail stores will also carry the white iPhone in stock starting today.