Apple (s aapl) has announced that the white iPhone 4 has been delayed once more, with a product launch not now expected until sometime later this year.
The company released the following vague, short statement to break the bad news to those waiting for the elusive white iPhone 4:
White models of Apple’s new iPhone 4 have continued to be more challenging to manufacture than we originally expected, and as a result they will not be available until later this year. The availability of the more popular iPhone 4 black models is not affected.
This disappointing update, which fails to specify any date, comes just one week after Apple themselves said that the white model of the iPhone 4 would be available towards the end of July.
So what just is holding up the white iPhone 4 from hitting shelves? Following the delays several blogs started to speculate as to why this manufacturing problem was proving so difficult to rectify. The consensus seems to point towards an issue with the coloration of the device. Engadget’s report detailed that the factory making the white model is having problems achieving the “perfect combination of paint thickness and opacity”.
It’s a shame that Apple did not have this issue solved before launch, as this delay along with the recent public relations nightmare that has been “antennagate” have made for one bumpy ride – not that Apple’s bottom line has been affected. So for those of you wanting a white model, it’s a case of waiting for the perfect shade of white to grace the iPhone 4. How long that wait will take, however, remains unknown.
