Skip to main content

Teen faces court suits from Apple for White iPhone conversion kits

fei lamRemember those White iPhone kits that took desperate Apple fanboys by storm? Well Apple was none too happy about them and has tracked down their creator: 17-year-old Fei Lam. Way back in November of 2010, Lam couldn’t take the wait for the White iPhone any longer, ordered parts from Apple manufacturer Foxconn, and made a cool $130,000 off the kits (although he refutes it’s this much).

Pretty impressive for someone who hasn’t even graduated high school. Unfortunately, Apple wasn’t quite as taken with Lam’s success. Mac Rumors reports that though a private investigator has had his eye on Lam and his site, WhiteiPhone4Now.com (which no longer exists), Apple isn’t stopping there and has filed suit against the teenager and his parents. The litigation states Lam infringed upon Apple patents as well as violated its trademark and used “deceptive practices” by creating and selling the kits. Apple said these sales could confused customers, and also claimed Lam’s parents were involved since he is a minor.

Recommended Videos

Luckily, it seems like Apple is more intent on scaring Lam than actually suing him for all he’s worth. At the same time it filed to sue Lam, the company’s legal team filed a “dismissal without prejudice,” which means Apple can sue in the future should it choose to. But this probably means an out-of-court settlement has been reached.

Had an agreement not been reached, the Lam family would have had to turn over all profits from the kits, paid Apple back for everything it spent on pursuing this case, and halted sales.

In an instant message interview with Fast Company, Lam revealed he wasn’t entirely sure what the status of the case and its dismissal were and that he will be meeting with Apple’s legal team in New York within the next month. He also mentioned he’s working on a new startup, SimilarInterests.org, a site that connects you with people who have the same interests as you do. Given Lam’s innovative track record, we’ll be keeping an eye on it.

Molly McHugh
Former Social Media/Web Editor
Before coming to Digital Trends, Molly worked as a freelance writer, occasional photographer, and general technical lackey…
Will my iPhone get iOS 26? Here’s every supported model
We've got the full list of iOS 26 supported devices - find out if you're getting the new iPhone update
iOS 26 features on a series of iPhone screens

Apple announced iOS 26 at WWDC 2025, and the new iPhone update comes with a fresh new 'Liquid Glass' look and plenty of features - and there are loads of iOS 26 supported devices, which is great news.

And no, you haven't missed a volley of updates since iOS 18 in 2024. Apple has skipped a bunch of numbers, so instead of giving us iOS 19 in 2025, we got iOS 26 alongside iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26 and tvOS 26. In short, Apple's brought its operating system numbering into line. Nice.

Read more
3 big iOS 19 changes that I hope Apple reveals at WWDC 2025
iOS 19 sample logo.

We’re less than two days away from Apple’s big WWDC 2025 keynote, where the company will reveal new versions of each of its software platforms. One of the biggest changes this year is the expected shift from iOS 19 to iOS 26, with new versions of macOS, iPadOS, tvOS, watchOS, and visionOS also set to follow suit. We're also expecting to see the evolution of Apple Health, including a new AI doctor and Health subscription.

iOS 26, if it is to be named that, is expected to introduce one of the biggest evolutions in design for Apple software since the first iPhone was launched. Inspired by visionOS and the Apple Vision Pro, it’s expected to be a monumental redesign, but I hope that Apple also takes the time to make a few improvements.

Read more
iPhone 17 price looks more certain to rise for first time since the iPhone 12
Apple might be preparing its first iPhone price increase in five years
iPhone 16 Pro Max next to the 16 Plus, 16 Pro and regular iPhone 16

For years now, Apple has launched the base model iPhone at $799 - but in 2025, more and more signs are pointing towards prices being increased for the introduction of the iPhone 17.

The likelihood of an iPhone 17 price increase was raised by the Wall Street Journal in May, and now Counterpoint Research notes in its recent 2025 shipment forecast that "cost increases are expected to be passed on to consumers" by not only Apple, but Samsung as well.

Read more