iPhone 4 design may prevent white model from ever being released

The white iPhone 4 may never see the light of day as Apple admitted Tuesday that it would not meet its end of year goal for the model's release. When pressed on the issue by Reuters, a spokesperson said the white iPhone won't make an appearance until at least Spring 2011.

Based on the release schedules of the iPhone since its launch, Apple's admission suggests that white will not be a color option for the iPhone 4. Although the company has only offered the reasoning that the model has been more "challenging to manufacture than we originally expected," it appears the color itself is the problem.

Since the case is somewhat translucent, light easily permeates. Some have said that the LCD screen light bleeds through to the back, while the latest guess on what is holding it from being released has to do with the camera.

The translucence causes the white iPhone 4 to take poor pictures, claims Cult of Mac, citing sources within the company. Like the LCD screen issue, when the flash is used the light shines through the case and causes pictures to wash out.

"The delay is related to light leakage, as previously rumored. But it isn't light leaking out from the iPhone, it's light leaking back in," Cult of Mac's Leander Kahney wrote.

In order to correct the problem, sources indicate that a complete redesign of the phone may be in order. With its planned release now pushed into the new year, it seems unlikely that Apple would spend the money on a version of the iPhone that would be replaced not long after.