The latest version of the popular handset, the iPhone 4, was released in June, but the white model was delayed first to July, then to the end of the year and now to early next year.

"We're sorry to disappoint customers waiting for the white iPhone again," Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller. She declined to explain the delay.

Apple has never said exactly why the white iPhone has been so troublesome to produce. The company has only said the white model was "more challenging to manufacture than we originally expected."

Rumors about the white iPhone have been on Apple-focused blogs for months, with explanations ranging from color-matching problems to an issue with the device's backlight.

More: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE69P59W20101026