White iPhone 4 expected to go on sale in the next few weeks

The white iPhone 4 may finally go on sale in the coming weeks, according to a Bloomberg Businessweek article. 

The article cites "three people with knowledge of the plans" as saying the white handset will be available "in the next few weeks" in the US at least, through operators AT&T and Verizon Wireless. The article specifies that this means an on-sale date before the end of April.

While Apple has refrained from announcing a firm launch date for the device, the company has constantly reiterated over the last year that the white iPhone 4 has not been canned. In March, for example, Apple's Phil Schiller tweeted that "the white iPhone will be available this spring (and it is a beauty!)".

The device was originally unveiled in June 2010 in San Francisco, alongside the black iPhone 4. Journalists got to play with both models at the press event, but, a month later, Apple announced that it was delaying the white version after finding it "more challenging to manufacture than we originally expected".

In early 2011, the white iPhone 4 started appearing on the inventory lists and websites of operators, while Expansys even started taking pre-orders for the device, with a meaty £920 price tag. We've checked today, and the Expansys pre-order is still available, but with a 'price not announced' tag instead.

In early March, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that Apple had solved its production issues and was ready to put the device into full production. Bloomberg's report would seem to confirm that claim.

You may be wondering why anyone would buy a white iPhone 4 in April if the iPhone 5 is coming in June or July. But recent rumours suggest that Apple may not release the iPhone 5 until the autumn, or even early next year. That means you could have a few more months of impressing friends and strangers with your gleaming white iPhone.