White iPhone Delayed Again Until Spring 2011

The bad news for anyone with holiday visions of a snowy-white iPhone 4 is that Apple will not be releasing the devices until early next year, according to a Reuters report.

“We’re sorry to disappoint customers, waiting for the white iPhone, again,” said an Apple spokeswoman, according to Reuters.

The black version of the iPhone 4 was released in June but the white model was delayed until July. It was then pushed back to the end of this year, and now, again, until early next year. Apple offered no explanation for the current delay though, in a July press statement on the subject, Apple explained that the white models have been “more challenging to manufacture than we originally expected”.

Colour Mismatch Or Design Flaw?

Industry rumours suggest that Apple is having a hard time matching the colours of the iPhone 4’s plastic shell and the Home button, which come from different suppliers. There could be more than mere aesthetic reasons because, as has been pointed out, delays tend to point to design flaws.

Following the black iPhone 4’s launch, complaints began to emerge regarding its new antenna design which, reportedly, led to calls being dropped when the smartphone’s bottom corner was covered by the user’s hand. The issue – dubbed “antennagate” by Apple CEO Jobs in a press conference held to address the matter – prompted multiple lawsuits against Apple and even led New York State Senator Chuck Schumer to send Jobs a letter on the consumer’s behalf.

Jobs eventually put an end to the matter by offering rubber cases, called bumpers, to iPhone 4 owners after they were shown to prevent interference. Although, soon afterward, the offer was rescinded with Apple saying in a note on its site that the “antenna attenuation issue” was a problem for even fewer handsets than it had originally thought and that, after September 30, anyone wanting a bumper would again have to pay $29.

Antenna attenuation or not, Apple has had no trouble in selling the thin, black iPhone 4. Within three days of its launch, Apple had sold more than 1.7 million of them. During the company’s October 18 earnings call, executives said that Apple sold 14.1 million iPhones over the quarter, which represented a year-on-year increase of 91 percent.

However, if you are determined to wait, take heart. It has been reported that the elusive white iPhone 4, whether with matching white bits or not, does in fact exist, and that some have been entrusted to Apple staff members. The time may be right for visiting Cupertino-area beer gardens…