White iPhone 4 Thicker than Black, Case Issues Imminent

So, everybody is going bonkers over the iPhone 4, especially since it made the transition from being AT&T exclusive to also being provided on Verizon. And now people are having even more cause to celebrate as Apple has finally released a white version of the Apple smartphone to give customers a nice alternative to the standard black that everyone is carrying around these days. However, with a white iPhone come a few problems that may irritate some and cause others to not buy the phone at all.

What am I talking about? Oh, nothing much, just that the white iPhone 4 is a tiny bit thicker than the original black version. That's it? That's the big problem you all need to hear about? Yeah, it is, especially if you are an iPhone user who just loves buying cases to house your precious iPhone in.

For example, an Incase slider that lovingly fits your black iPhone 4 with ease has to be forced into place on the white iPhone. What is interesting, and unfortunate, is that the white iPhone 4 spec page that Apple is displaying to everybody does not reflect a change in thickness from the black model to the white model. The spec page shows the white iPhone 4 as measuring 9.3mm, the same as the black model. However, it actually measures 9.5mm. There is a tiny disclaimer on the page that says "Actual size and weight may vary by configuration and manufacturing process."

This will undoubtedly cause confusion among consumers as they enter the endless debate of "will my case fit or not?" So why is the white iPhone 4 thicker? Phil Schiller of Apple mentioned that the company needed to add extra UV protection in addition to some other tweaks and that this was done in an attempt to reduce the "unexpected interactions" between the new white cover and the internal components.

This essentially means that Apple needed to sacrifice the slimness of the device in order to have a better functioning white iPhone 4. With this new thickness it seems that we now have four different sized button configurations that need to be taken into consideration before purchasing a shrink-wrapped case for your white iPhone 4, black iPhone 4, white Verizon iPhone 4 and black Verizon iPhone 4. Have fun, Apple junkies. I'll stick with my Android device.

Source: Engadget - White iPhone 4 thickness created issue for case makers, owners