The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are currently available in five color options: Black, Silver, Gold, Rose Gold, and Jet Black. Last month, supply chain sources told Mac Otakara that Apple could release a Jet White color option for its flagship iPhones mid-cycle. Apple might be tempted to introduce a Jet White version following the phenomenal success of the Jet Black variant.
Jet White iPhone 7 casings already available on Asian marketplaces
On Tuesday, noted Apple leaker Sonny Dickson posted a video on Twitter showing the Jet White iPhone 7 and 7 Plus mock-ups. Though the devices in the video are nearly identical to Apple’s flagship handsets, they don’t appear to be Apple’s official Jet White iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.
Could this be the Jet White iPhone 7? pic.twitter.com/pHoDiZ63ON
— Sonny Dickson (@SonnyDickson) December 27, 2016
It’s possible that Dickson purchased the glossy white casings from Alibaba or some other Asian marketplaces, where they are widely available. Another possibility is that a third-party firm such as ColorWare simply applied a glossy white layer of paint on a normal iPhone 7, points out 9to5Mac.
The red flags on the casings suggest that they are not original hardware. On the 4.7-inch iPhone 7, the iconic Apple logo is missing. Another issue is the finish. Both devices shown in the video have an eggshell finish, which means the glossy white color was painted or applied after manufacturing. In contrast, the Jet Black variant gets its glossy finish through a complex process involving an iron particle bath, rotational 3D polishing, and anodization, says Apple Insider.
Will Apple introduce a Jet White iPhone 7?
Nevertheless, the mockups offer a look at the rumored Jet White iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. It looks a lot like the white color that was introduced with the iPhone 3G. It’s highly unlikely that the Cupertino company would add a Jet White color option to the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. The tech giant keeps new colors for annual refreshes such as Jet Black with the iPhone 7, Rose Gold with iPhone 6S, and Gold with iPhone 5S.
Apple is already facing difficulties meeting demand for the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. The Jet Black version was flying off the shelves despite Apple warning customers that it was prone to scratching. Adding a glossy white color to the lineup could lead to a shortage of the new color. On top of that, Apple has to maintain the stock of every color in every memory storage option for almost every carrier, which would become even more challenging with a new color mid-cycle.
The new Jet White color option may be introduced with the next year’s iPhone 7S, iPhone 7S Plus or iPhone 8.
