White iPhone 4 on sale Thursday

As predicted, Apple has announced that the white iPhone 4 will finally go on sale this week. The much-anticipated color variant of the iOS smartphone will land in stores from Thursday, April 28, priced at the same $199/$299 as the current, black model. It will be available both as a GSM device for AT&T and international carriers, and a CDMA phone for Verizon Wireless.

Apple has never officially confirmed the exact reasons for the white iPhone's delay, though that hasn't stopped various suggestions making the rounds. They've included fading or discoloring problems with the white paint, issues with light seeping through the camera surrounds, and flaking or chipping from Apple's first choice of coating.

It's unclear what the white iPhone 4 going on sale will do to Apple's upgrade timeline; the company has traditionally worked to a yearly refresh cycle, announcing a new iPhone in June or July. With this new version arriving today, it seems likely that Apple will push back the iPhone 5 launch somewhat. Recent rumors have suggested September availability, though of course Apple itself is saying nothing.

Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Macau, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, UK and the US will all get the white iPhone 4 beginning Thursday, April 28. So, who's buying?

Press Release:

White iPhone Arrives Tomorrow

CUPERTINO, California—April 27, 2011—Apple® today announced that the white iPhone® 4 will be available beginning tomorrow. White iPhone 4 models will be available from Apple's online store (www.apple.com), at Apple's retail stores, AT&T and Verizon Wireless stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers.

"The white iPhone 4 has finally arrived and it's beautiful," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "We appreciate everyone who has waited patiently while we've worked to get every detail right."

iPhone 4 is the most innovative phone in the world, featuring Apple's stunning Retina™ display, the highest resolution display ever built into a phone resulting in super crisp text, images and video, and FaceTime®, which makes video calling a reality.

Pricing & Availability

White models of iPhone 4 will be available in Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Macau, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, UK and the US, beginning Thursday, April 28 and in many more countries around the world soon. White iPhone 4 will be available for a suggested retail price of $199 (US) for the 16GB model and $299 (US) for the 32GB model with a new two year agreement through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), at Apple's retail stores, AT&T and Verizon Wireless stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers.