EXCLUSIVE: iPhone 4 buyers in Australia, could have problems sourcing covers for their new phone which goes on sale later this month after Apple issued a warning to manufacturers that the camera’s flash hole on several cases are causing images to come out blurred or have colour rings around them.
The issue, which only becomes apparent when the camera has been used, is set to affect several companies who sell iPhone accessories in Australia.
According to David Murray, a director at local distributor Conexus, several companies are set to be affected by the issue.
“When we were alerted to the problem we contacted Trexta who supply us with iPhone 4 cases. They advised that they were aware of the problem and had a fix for it”.
Another distributor said: “Several distributors who had worked on getting in early with iPhone 4 accessories are set to be hit hard by the problem”.
A US owner, Justin Williams, said recently on a comment page: “I bought an iPhone 4 for my wife and we were happy with it until she took a picture that required the use of a flash. It produced a horrible blue hue over the picture. We get this result every time we take a low light picture with the case on. With the case off, there’s no issue”.
Among the brands affected by the design problem in the USA are Belkin and Griffin with their Reveal iPhone 4 accessory.
The company has admitted that Griffin’s rear cover has a keyhole-shaped hole for the iPhone 4’s back camera, which is interfering with the LED flash due to the hole’s size and tapering. The company is offering a free replacement version of Reveal to all current customers when the revised case is released in late July.
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Earlier this month Belkin Australia jumped the gun and announced “an extensive line up of new iPhone 4 cases and accessories”. What is not known is how many of those cases will have to be replaced prior to the iPhone 4 going on sale in Australia.
Patrick Domingue, managing director of Belkin ANZ, said when launching the new range “It will protect the new iPhone 4 no matter how it is used”.
Apple are not prepared to comment on the problem due the iPhone 4 not being released in Australia yet.
