White iPhone 4 delayed, this time forever?

As we reported Tuesday, Apple has once again delayed the release of its white iPhone 4. First we heard that it would come out along side the black iPhone 4. Then it got pushed back a month. Then delayed until "later this year." Now we must wait until spring of next year.

That's getting pretty close to when Apple rolls out its annual iPhone update. Why would anyone shell out for a white iPhone 4 when an iPhone 5 would likely be just a few month away?

This line of thinking, and several anonymous sources, have many news outlets speculating that there will never be a white iPhone 4.

"According to a previous source of ours, we have been told that Apple in fact has no plans to release the white model iPhone 4," writes the Boy Genius Report, which has a surprisingly good track record on phone scoops. "Our source hypothesizes another 'delay' communicated around March leading us into an iPhone 5 release time-frame in June / July."

Wired points to the curious departure of Mark Papermaster, the man in charge of iPhone hardware. Papermaster left in August, shortly after the iPhone 4 antenna brouhaha boiled over.

"Though Apple has not officially commented on whether Papermaster’s exit was a firing or a resignation, multiple anonymous sources claim he was ousted because of issues with the iPhone 4, including the antenna flaw that led to a media flurry earlier this year and the white iPhone 4’s delay," reports Wired. "What might the problem be with manufacturing? One lucky owner of a white iPhone 4 told blog Pocket Lint that Asian suppliers had shipped white iPhones with a white Home button that didn’t match the color of the faceplate – one of those details that would drive Jobs crazy."

Are you holding out for a white iPhone? Or has that ivory ship sailed? Let us know in the comments.