I think you missed the point of the article. What's more or less interesting is not that there's a horde of employees in Apple with access to the device. That's a given. I'm more or less impressed with the fact that the device has not been released simply due to Apple's level of standards when it comes to their products. I can almost guarantee most companies would have released the product as-is.

It's not just Apple that does this (with great effect).

Look at things like the Nintendo DSi, which is being released in a range of new colors. Simply adding a few different colors to a device means a big surge in orders I'm sure.

But yeah, I don't really care if the iPhone is black or white too much.