The still elusive white iPhone 4.

Stop me if you've heard this one before.

The white iPhone 4 is delayed.

For those keeping track, yes, that is the third time you've read that headline since June. Apple is saying today that the white version of the iPhone 4 now won't be for sale until spring 2011. And that's after telling us in June that it would be delayed until late July, then in July putting off the ship date until "later this year."

Apple's quote today is, "We're sorry to disappoint customers waiting for the white iPhone yet again, but we've decided to delay its release until this spring."

It comes just shortly after news broke this morning that Apple had released an updated version of its App Store iPhone app with the option to reserve a white iPhone 4 in stores. Clicking "Reserve" didn't actually make a reservation, but it did get the rumor mill churning that a white iPhone 4 was soon to be released.

So what's up with the delays Presumably the same "manufacturing challenges" Apple cited in previous delays concerning the white iPhone 4. A person spotted using one of the elusive white handsets last week, who had received it from a friend working at Apple, said he'd heard the problem was related to getting the white face plate of the phone to match the white home button.

Again, we don't know the specifics of the holdup because Apple is keeping silent about that. But it is looking increasingly likely that we'll hear about the Verizon iPhone from Apple before we actually see a white iPhone 4 in stores.