White iPhone 4 Delayed Once Again Until Spring 2011

Apple Inc said on Tuesday that it would delay release of the white iPhone yet again, this time until next spring.

The company has had a difficult time making the white model of the iPhone 4. It released the black version of the smartphone in June.

In a statement, an Apple spokeswoman apologized for disappointing its customers but declined to offer any additional information on the reasons for the continued delays.

"We're sorry to disappoint customers waiting for the white iPhone again," Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller said. When asked why the white phone would again be delayed, Muller declined to comment.

Introduced alongside the black iPhone 4 at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in early June, the white model was soon pushed back to a late July launch. As that date approached, Apple again delayed the launch until "later this year", seemingly giving the company plenty of time to work out issues with production of the white model, although the company apparently continues to struggle with the white models.

The reasons for the ongoing delays have not yet been confirmed by Apple beyond the device proving to be "more challenging to manufacture than expected". Rumors, however, have pointed to issues with color matching between the device's body and home button or light from the screen's backlight leaking around and through the less opaque white painted surfaces.