Despite Steve Jobs’ promise of a pre-Christmas arrival and with a number of recent sightings including a flamboyant Steven Fry outing, Apple has announced the white edition of the market leading iPhone 4 is now delayed until spring 2011.

Consumers who had been holding out for the lighter hued handset will now face a wait well into the new year as an Apple spokeswoman declared: "We're sorry to disappoint customers waiting for the white iPhone again” adding that the white model was: “more challenging to manufacture than we originally expected".

 
Originally set to launch alongside the standard black model of the latest Apple handset back in July, the white edition of the iPhone 4 has been repeatedly delayed with reports suggesting the Cupertino company and its manufacturers are having trouble matching the white of the homescreen button for the entire handset shell.

Other rumoured causes for the continued delays include overheating units discolouring the rear case and Apple’s attempted work on an antenngate fix.

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