It was the second time Apple has announced a delay in the white version of the hot-selling iPhone 4.<\/p>\n
The Cupertino, California-based gadget maker said just before the June 24 launch of the next-generation smartphone that the white version would not be on the market before July because of manufacturing problems that it has yet to explain.<\/p>\n
“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,” Apple said in a brief statement on Friday.’<\/p>\n
The company added that the availability of the “more popular” iPhone 4 black models is “not affected.”<\/p>\n
Apple says the iPhone 4 is its most successful product launch, with more than three million sold in the first three weeks after its debut.<\/p>\n
But the smartphone, the fourth generation of a multifunction phone that has revolutionized the sector, suffers from reception problems linked to its new design.<\/p>\n
A week ago, Apple chief executive Steve Jobs interrupted his vacation to announce at a news conference that Apple would offer free rubber cases to protect the metal border where the antenna is located.<\/p>\n
Apple says demand for the new iPhone 4s has outstripped production capacity, leaving numerous markets with back orders.<\/p>\n
According to specialist websites, Apple’s white-model problem is the difficulty in developing a white paint formula for the case that is opaque enough to produce an appealing white and transparent enough to allow signal transmissions.<\/p>\n