15 years ago, Apple ‘finally’ released the white iPhone 4 after a 300+ day delay
Source: 9to5Mac
The white iPhone 4 release day is always a fun Apple anniversary for me to think about. It comes one week before I bought my first iPhone (the iPhone 4 in white, of course) and 308 days after the black iPhone 4 arrived in stores.
Apple summed up the white iPhone 4 launch in one word: ‘Finally’
Between the announcement and release, Apple issued six press releases covering the white iPhone 4:
- 6/7/10: Apple Presents iPhone 4
- 6/16/10: Statement by Apple on iPhone 4 Pre‑Orders
- 6/23/10: Statement by Apple on White iPhone 4 (June)
- 7/2/10: Letter from Apple Regarding iPhone 4
- 7/23/10: Statement by Apple on White iPhone 4 (July)
- 4/27/11: White iPhone Arrives Tomorrow
The white iPhone 4 delay became one of several major storylines associated with the hardware:
- AntennaGate – which led Apple to give away free iPhone bumper cases.
- Verizon launch – adding a second carrier in the U.S. that supported the iPhone.
It’s also interesting to note the timing of the original iPhone 4 announcement and release. Steve Jobs announced the iPhone 4 at WWDC 2010, and the black version hit stores by the end of June. Earlier iPhone releases (original, 3G, 3GS) typically launched in June or July.
iPhone launches later shifted to the fall, starting with the iPhone 4S in October 2011. Since then, Apple has previewed new iPhone software updates at WWDC in June, reserving hardware updates for the fall. More recently, we’ve come to expect spring releases as well, with models like the iPhone 16e and iPhone 17e. This year, Apple might even hold back the standard iPhone 18 and rumor an iPhone Air 2 until spring 2027.
This fall, flagship expectations include the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the iPhone Ultra—Apple’s rumored folding‑display model.
FTC: We use income‑earning auto affiliate links. More.