White iPhone 4: Modified Rear Camera, Reports of Thickness Difference Disputed

While much of the attention regarding the long-delayed launch of the white iPhone 4 has died down, a few tidbits of interest continue to trickle out.

Late last week, Japanese blog Mac Otakara pointed to a pair of tweets from @kazunie highlighting some of the differences between the black and white models of the iPhone 4.

133732 white iphone 4 camera
Rear camera of black (left) and white (right) iPhone 4

In particular, Apple seems to have modified the camera sensor in the white version, opting for a slightly different module that likely carries almost identical specs to the one used in the black version. It is unclear, however, whether the change was made specifically to deal with issues related to light leakage reportedly affecting camera performance, one of the more popular targets of rumors regarding the device's delayed launch.

The report also notes that the proximity sensor has been modified in the white models, although no details on the changes are included. The proximity sensor has been one of the chief areas of focus on the device, given Apple's obvious redesign of the iPhone's front plate in the area of the sensor, shifting from a grille of tiny holes in early renderings and samples of the white models to a single black window in the shipping versions.

Reports of the white iPhone 4 being slightly thicker than the black version are also coming under fire, with Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller reportedly sending a response to a customer via Twitter direct message disputing the claims.

It is not thicker, don't believe all the junk that you read

Consumer Reports has also disputed the findings with their own caliper measurements showing identical thicknesses for the black and white models.

133732 consumer reports iphone thickness
Consumer Reports' caliper measurements of iPhone 4 thickness

The thickness difference was of course confirmed in an extensive series of caliper measurements taken by TiPb last week and by numerous other users examining their own devices and attempting to fit them into cases. Consequently, the difference may be an issue of quality control with some phones exhibiting the difference while others do not, rather than an intentional design change to specify the thicker profile.

141133 engadget iphone thickness
Comparison showing white iPhone 4 thicker than black (Source: Engadget)

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iOS 26

When Will Apple Release iOS 26.2?

Monday December 1, 2025 4:37 pm PST by
We're getting closer to the launch of the final major iOS update of the year, with Apple set to release iOS 26.2 in December. We've had three betas so far and are expecting a fourth beta or a release candidate this week, so a launch could follow as soon as next week. Past Launch Dates Apple's past iOS x.2 updates from the last few years have all happened right around the middle of the...
ios 18 to ios 26 upgrade

Apple Pushes iPhone Users Still on iOS 18 to Upgrade to iOS 26

Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent. Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18...
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
iphone 17 cyber

iPhone 17 Demand Is Breaking Apple's Sales Records

Tuesday December 2, 2025 9:44 am PST by
Apple's iPhone 17 lineup is selling well enough that Apple is on track to ship more than 247.4 million total iPhones in 2025, according to a new report from IDC. Total 2025 shipments are forecast to grow 6.1 percent year over year due to iPhone 17 demand and increased sales in China, a major market for Apple. Overall worldwide smartphone shipments across Android and iOS are forecast to...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 Release Candidates to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Wednesday December 3, 2025 10:33 am PST by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 updates to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas. The release candidates represent the final versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found during this final week of testing....
Photos App Icon Liquid Glass

John Gruber Shares Scathing Commentary About Apple's Departing Software Design Chief

Thursday December 4, 2025 9:30 am PST by
In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs. On his blog Daring Fireball,...
Touchscreen MacBook Feature

Here Are the Four MacBooks Apple Is Expected to Launch Next Year

Monday December 1, 2025 5:00 am PST by
2026 could be a bumper year for Apple's Mac lineup, with the company expected to announce as many as four separate MacBook launches. Rumors suggest Apple will court both ends of the consumer spectrum, with more affordable options for students and feature-rich premium lines for users that seek the highest specifications from a laptop. Below is a breakdown of what we're expecting over the next ...
iphone air camera

iPhone Air's Resale Value Has Dropped Dramatically, Data Shows

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:27 am PST by
The iPhone Air has recorded the steepest early resale value drop of any iPhone model in years, with new data showing that several configurations have lost almost 50% of their value within ten weeks of launch. According to a ten-week analysis published by SellCell, Apple's latest lineup is showing a pronounced split in resale performance between the iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air....
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

iPhone 17 Pro Lost a Camera Feature Pro Models Have Had Since 2020

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:18 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro models, it turns out, can't take photos in Night mode when Portrait mode is selected in the Camera app – a capability that's been available on Apple's Pro devices since the iPhone 12 Pro in 2020. If you're an iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max owner, try it for yourself: Open the Camera app with Photo selected in the carousel, then cover the rear lenses with your hand to...
chatgpt logo

Sam Altman Declares 'Code Red' for ChatGPT, Delays OpenAI Advertising Plans

Tuesday December 2, 2025 3:30 pm PST by
OpenAI is deprioritizing work on advertising as it focuses on improving the quality of ChatGPT, reports The Information. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman declared a "code red" on Monday, and told employees that the company needs to improve ChatGPT so it doesn't fall behind competitors like Google and Anthropic. Altman said that OpenAI needs to work on personalization for each user, image generation,...

Top Rated Comments

BC2009 Avatar
191 months ago
I think that no other company has their products come under more scrutiny than Apple. It is amazing. When folks say how the media just falls over Apple and praises them constantly -- it cracks me up. The media is just itching for bad news on Apple, and they are looking in every possible place to find it.

What shocks me is the level of forgiveness that competing tablets against the iPad are getting. Apple is so dominating the tablet-computing sector right now, that the media is just hoping for a contender. Motorola and RIM have both released "Beta Hardware (http://technologizer.com/2011/04/21/the-era-of-beta-hardware/)" to the public and many reviewers are being soft on RIM with even more being soft on Motorola. If Apple released such a product they would get blasted in the media with nobody offering forgiveness.

Case and point... Mossberg on the iPad 2:

"Also, the battery life, while very good, isn’t as strong as I found it to be on the first iPad. In my tough battery test, where I played full-length movies until the battery died, with the screen brightness at about 75% and both Wi-Fi and cellular radios running, the iPad 2 just barely exceeded Apple’s claimed battery life, dying after 10 hours and nine minutes."

Keep in mind that Apple advertises 10 hours and Mossberg got better than that with the brightness setting 25% higher than Apple's default setting. Yet he had to reach to find something to complain about (e.g.: his iPad 1 test unit just happened to have extraordinary battery life -- keep in mind that most reviewers of iPad 2 got better battery life than iPad 1).

Gruber criticizes Mossberg even more in a post called "Bending Over Backwards" (http://daringfireball.net/2011/03/bending_over_backwards). Some of Gruber's points are arguable, but I think he is dead-on in many regards, especially his final quote:

"Stating the plain truth, that the iPad 2 has no serious competition as a mainstream consumer device, doesn’t make you biased. It makes you accurate."

Apple, however, does not get to enjoy the luxury of forgiveness that the media affords to those who are not the market leader. The fact that folks are trying to quantify a thickness difference of 0.2 mm on some units, completely amazes me. I'm sure its within manufacturing specifications and I'm sure that not every single Black iPhone 4 is the same thickness, and yet it is news.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
toddybody Avatar
191 months ago
What is your point? If you have something to say, then say it, don't post useless links.

It's called sarcasm - some get it and some don't.

My apologies.

Ill explain what the link implied. The sarcastic joke that you posted is simply trite beyond belief, and as such I thought Id use similar methods of sarcasm to convey my thoughts on the matter. Now, the crux of my joke relies on the play of opposites (as your comment was anything but original) and meant to be informative. Im really sorry you didn't get my initial brevity, and Ill make sure to explain myself in full next time. Thanks so much, stay well:)
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DennisVR Avatar
191 months ago
It confirms that wearing black makes you look thinner. :cool:
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
toddybody Avatar
191 months ago
It's just that black is slimming. ;)


...too bad it doesnt work for Bob :(


Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Vertigo50 Avatar
191 months ago
It's amazing what someone with the proper tool can do to actually test these kind of issues.

I was waiting for someone to FINALLY grab a caliper and measure both devices. Game over.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NinjaHERO Avatar
191 months ago
It's just that black is slimming. ;)
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)