Black or white?

Now that the day is almost over, you're probably sick and tired of iPhone news, and we don't blame you. But there remains one question (albeit a very silly one) remaining on some people's minds. And that is, do I get the white one, or the black one?

Yes, it's a purely aesthetic choice, but c'mon, Apple fans are known to care about looks, so this is a relevant question. As you know, the white iPhone is only available in the 16GB model, so many people have posited that this is seen as the "luxury" color, similar to the way black MacBooks were seen as the "it" item back when it was released (Black MacBooks are only available if you want to cough up $200 more for a bigger hard drive).

However, judging from the reactions of many people in line, a lot of people seem to be opting for the black iPhone, 16GB or not. Is the white iPhone doomed? Is it too "lady-like" and "girly," as some people have said?

I decided to take a photo of both black and white iPhones that we happen to have here at CNET. It's hard to see the Apple logo on the white iPhone, but it is the same silvery hue as the one on the black iPhone. Here they are:

iPhone 3G white vs. iPhone 3G black: which do you prefer?

(Credit: Donald Bell/CNET Networks)

So if you're brave enough to wait in line for an iPhone 3G this weekend, which one will you get? And if you already bought one, which one did you buy? And if you think this is a horribly silly post, you can tell us too.

[hawaiiinsomniac]

I got the white iPhone, and I love it.

I've been reading about activation problems and didn't have any here. All went well at the Apple Store and within 3 minutes my new iPhone was working.

Maybe I'm lucky, I didn't have any problems last year either.

[iphoneless]

I waited 4 1/2 hours for the 16GB Black only to be disappointed when I finally got inside the apple store and they ran out. I made the to choice to walk out as did a couple of other people. (sign)

[gbaldi]

i also got the white but from what i heard i am seriously in the minority. I just feel lucky that i am fortunate enough to worry about the color of the back of my cell phone. but that said white is the color for us non comformist geeks. maybe

[AmitZaveri]

I waited for over 5 hours in the night to step into the store at exactly 8. The activation was a disaster here in NYC. It took more than 1.5 hours for me to get a new line that was pre qualified for credit check.

I got a black since I did not like the sudden change from black front to a white back. For the black - dont like the figer prints left on the plastic back.

Side Note - Where the hell is snooze on calendar reminders?? Apple - Got to fix this within a week for me.........

[COMPUTER_WIZ_KID]

I PREFER THE BLACK BECAUSE MINE IS BLACK I LOVE IT.

[scythie]

iPhone plastic (3G) sure looks a lot less sleek compared to the original iPhone. -disappointed-

[fedup101]

After waiting in line, seeing all the black i phones being bought, I just decided to choose white, and I'm proud I did. (laughs at fiance's black i phone with a million finger smudges on the back cover)

[lorriedo]

I bought mine in a very small town in TX (Marble Falls) via San Antonio to Fort Worth. When I left at 6:30 in SA the store by my house had 30+ people and quickly became 100+ (i heard from a friend). I arrived in MF at 8:00 and was #25 in line. They only had 30 phones. The 8GB sold out first then the Black 16GB so I was stuck with the white one, but I am out of town so I wait until I get home to activate it so its still in the box. I left the store at 10:30 (2 1/2 hour wait). The white one looks very nice and I am very happy with my purchase. Hopefully I wont have problems activating it tonight.

[waddlingduck]

As blasphemous as it sounds, if and when I get an iPhone, it's going the same place all my other phones went - in my front pocket with my keys. I'm gonna try to protect it of course, with one of those fancy silicon slip on cases. Have they come out yet for the 3G yet?

That being the case, the backside of my prospective iPhone is rather trivial when it will be covered by a protective case. Now that raises the question: Turquoise, *******, Hot Pink, Black with Flames, or Camo.

[waddlingduck]

addendum to previous commment: the word I was trying to use ends in uchsia, and begins with an f. It is a color similar to magenta, yet the first four letters of which must have tripped the auto-profanity filter. Maybe CNet can tweak that.

[jrobert94]

i got mine in ireland and was first in line and i turned up at the time it opened but i was sitting giving details and a huge line formed behind me and i got the 16gb and i am glad to say got the black one. it is a fingerprint magnet but so is the screen and the back is shiny in one swipe so i just do it when i do the front and i think the new one is so sleek compared to my last iphone and we in ireland did not have to activate it if you bought the last one u just put in the sim card and its on
p.s i love the feel of the plastic plus if it was alluminum then the signal would suffer thats why the old one had the little plastic bit at the bottom and the touch has the plastic corner thats were the chips are and i realised y the screws are there the old one u just poped off the plastic bit and the metal poped off then but now cause its one bit u need to take it apart p.s sorry for the long comment lol

[etiahwhite]

While I sat in line for 8 hrs waiting my iPhone I'd planned on getting the black because I was only gonna get an 8gb version well once inside I disovered that while At&t told me I'd have to pay $400 that I was only gonna have to pay the $200 so I said whatev and got 16gb white....I wrestled with the decision but decided that 1 the white didn't get as smudgy and 2 I was gonna buy a jazzy color case anyways and 3 something about the white drew me to it perhaps its the old schools orginial ipodness it has going for it....that all be said I did like the aluminum back of my previous phone....oh and yes, i'm a girl!

[Maxxout2]

One look around my home, office or car and you'll know that I love any and all forms of technology available -but I wouldn't stand in line for one minute to buy ANY gadget.

And yes, I am sick and tired of all the iPhone news. There's nothing else going on in the tech industry?

[mr_gouda]

I'd love to get a white iPhone if they also made the FRONT white as well. I think the white iPhone looks weird with the front all black and the back white.

[shirowmasamune]

black 16GB!
w/black 'non-ipod' headphones.

forget the cases.
looks best without 'em. au naturel!
but i did put an anti-glare screen protector on it, and it looks niiiiiiiiiiiiice.

[Skiermax-223703366467890529777]

Black

[cincodemayo1]

I knew I was getting a 16GB (since I was upgrading from the 1st gen 8) and I also went back and forth on the issue, but I ultimately chose white. This was confirmed when I got in store and began playing with both models. The black, while nice, looked a bit cheaper and had smudges all over the back of it. The white looked pristine, like no one had ever touched it (which could be the case since everyone wanted black). I've had mine for 4 days now and it still looks brand spanking new. Not a smudge on it.

[cshelton575]

I bought my black iphone 3g a couple days ago from craigslist new in the box and delivered to me for 350 :) so no waiting in line and activated over the phone i think i'm gonna switch the back casing over to white though