Quality control

Apple just announced that the white version of the iPhone4 has been delayed -- again. For those those who haven't been following along at home, Apple's newest iPhone was supposed to be available in both black and white at launch, but the white still hasn't seen the light of day. It's widely believed that the problem lies with inconsistency in the white paint that Apple has attempted to use on the iPhone4. The brightness of the white varies from device to device, and therefore, it won't pass Apple's QC.

Say what you will about Apple -- but you've got to hand it to them for valuing the visual design of their products. From the painted glass back of the iPhone to the solid aluminum of the Macbook, Apple puts great care into aesthetics. It's even gotten them into trouble at times, what with the iPhone4's external antenna debacle and all. But it's still refreshing for a tech developer to so tightly control their visual identity trough the design of their products.