Apple returns to 'white magic': White iPhone 4 to hit stores this month

The latest buzz in tech circles is that Apple is readying the much-delayed white version of its iPhone 4 and that the elusive gadget will be up for sale before the month runs out. For now, the iPhone 5 release rumors can take a breather; fans weary of an Apple dry cycle -- given that the iPhone 5 may not be launched until September -- can rejoice too.

Apple could be planning to launch the white version of iPhone 4 to fill a gap in its product launch cycle and thereby mitigate customer fatigue over waiting for the new iPhone 5. The next generation iPhone would have made it to the stores in June this year; but the latest news is that Apple may not launch iPhone 5 until September this year, when the company starts its forthcoming financial year.

THE WHITE MAGIC

Apple could also be hoping that the launch of a white iPhone 4 will help it maintain seamless sales momentum going into the revised launch window for the iPhone 5. Traditionally, all of Apple's fast-moving gadgets have come in white, like the iPods, the iPhone 3 and the recently released iPad 2.

However, it remains to be seen how far can the white iPhone 4 satisfy customers, who have been waiting for the next generation model.
According to Bloomberg, which cited unnamed sources, the new model will be available from AT&T Inc. and Verizon Wireless by the end of April.

MANUFACTURING ISSUES

While launching the iPhone 4 in June last year, Apple had announced it would soon launch a white version of the phone. However, the tech giant postponed the launch of the white version several times and rumor mills suggested that manufacturing issues had cropped up every time.

It was rumored that issues with paint had played spoilsport in Apple's plans to launch the white iPhone. AppleInsider had reported earlier in the year that the tech giant had approached a Japanese company to prepare a new paint material specifically for the white iPhone.

Now, Reuters has reported that Foxconn group's Hon Hai Precision Industry has started assembling the white iPhone, citing unnamed sources. There has been no official confirmation either from Apple or Hon Hai, and the latest utterance by an Apple bigwig on white iPhone 4 was in March when Senior Vice-President of Marketing Phil Schiller said: The white iPhone will be available this spring (and it is a beauty!).