White iPhone 4 Delayed Until Later this Year

Shoppers hoping to pick up a white iPhone 4 in the next couple of weeks are in for a disappointment now that Apple has said it will be pushing the release to some time later this year. The news comes after Apple promised the elusive white version of its combination iPod and smartphone would ship by the end of July.

“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 company said in a statement. “The availability of the more popular iPhone 4 black models is not affected.”

Apple didn’t say exactly what part of the manufacturing process is proving to be a challenge, and the fact that the launch window is relatively open ended hints that it may be very close to the end of the year before the white iPhone 4 sees the light of day.