Whoa, a mess of new rumors hit over the weekend that are likely to have iPhone 4 enthusiasts seriously excited.
First up is the white iPhone 4, which has long been more elusive than a yeti riding a unicorn and having a conversation with the Loch Ness monster. And suddenly, evidence points to Apple (AAPL) having shored up the issues with the phone and priming it to hit store shelves — like, on Wednesday. Of this week. For real.
Over at 9to5Mac is a story that outlines a Best Buy (BBY) inventory report that includes the great white iPhone and lists it as going on sale on April 27. The whole craziness started as rumors that the white version of the iPhone was going on sale in Europe this week, according to CNET, which was pulling anecdotal evidence from European websites.
In fact, it seems that Vodafone UK (VOD.L) has already (perhaps accidentally) loosed the phone into the wild a few days early, according to Engadget. Photos of the 16GB version of the white iPhone have hit the Internet and they seem to be relatively legit, and include some model number verification that also seems pretty convincing.
Things have been dragging with the white iPhone 4 for months now, ever since it was announced with the black iPhone 4 way back in the summer. Since then, rumors of the white version have been persistent and ridiculous, ebbing and flowing and constantly capturing the attention of the Internet. Recent reports suggest that the white paint job for the iPhone was giving trouble through the manufacturing process, specifically when exposed to heat.
But it sounds like Apple has solved those problems and will, in fact, be hitting shelves by the end of the month, confirming rumors from Bloomberg and the statements of Apple Worldwide Product Marketing Senior VP Phil Schiller. Get your lining-up shoes broken in.
Another rumor: iPhone 4 coming to T-Mobile
The acquisition of T-Mobile by AT&T (T) could already be yielding fruit, if an image that has hit the Internet is to be believed.
A report from BGR.com shows a picture of a white iPhone 4 running on T-Mobile’s 3G network. The phone has an internal model of N94, which BGR says is pretty good evidence of it actually being the real deal — the AT&T GSM iPhone is N90 and the Verizon (VZ) CDMA one is N92, so the T-Mobile version would fit in with Apple’s model scheme.
More info dug up by 9to5Mac suggests that Apple is testing the iPhone on T-Mobile’s network using the iPhone 4S, a recent new model the rumors of which have been swirling. This new iPhone sports the iPad 2’s A5 dual-core processor chip and is reportedly being sent around to video game developers to help them get a leg-up on iPhone 5 development.
All that falls into the realm of rumor, sure, but it does seem like a lot of corroborating evidence going toward the idea that Apple is thinking about T-Mobile. And with the iPhone potentially spreading out into even more pastures, it’s likely the next version of the phone could be even more of a force than it has in years past.
