Mobile

Nexus 4 Sold Out Again: On Backorder, Won't Be Available For Over A Month

Sumit Passary

Google's Nexus 4 has met with an overwhelming response and unprecedented demand since its launch earlier in November. The LG-made smartphone sold out within an hour of being available in both the U.S. and the UK.

The extraordinary demand for the Nexus 4 led to the smartphone being oversold by Google, putting the device on backorder.

As a consequence, Google sent out e-mails to buyers notifying them that "due to the overwhelming demand" the Nexus 4 was on backorder and was "expected to ship within three weeks." The company also mentioned that it would inform customers when their order was shipped, as well as waive off the shipping charges.

Now, per reports, the Google Play Store says that the 8GB version of the Nexus 4 will not ship for at least eight to nine weeks, which means if consumers place an order today they will not get the smartphone in time for Christmas, but sometime in Jan. 2013. The 16GB version of the Nexus 4 too sees a delay and is not expected to reach buyers before six to seven weeks.

"These increasingly bad shipping times are attached to the two different models available, where future owners of the 8GB Google Nexus 4 will have to wait anywhere from 8 to 9 weeks, while folks who want the beefier Google Nexus 16GB model will have to wait for a month plus at worst," reported Ubergizmo.

The high demand for Nexus 4 has prompted sites like eBay to regulate the sales and place restriction on the device's orders. This regulation has been done to thwart any sales abuse that may occur owing to the overwhelming demand, in a bid to protect users from scams.

Per eBay's sales policies for the Nexus 4:

  • Authorized resellers will be allowed to list an unlimited number of items per week.
  • eBay Top Rated Sellers will be allowed to list up to 8 items per week.
  • All sellers meeting minimum performance standards will be allowed to list 4 items per week.
  • New sellers who've confirmed their personal information may list 1 item per week.

It is likely that these rules will be enforced till Google's stock inventory sees a steady flow.

The Nexus 4 is priced at $299 and $349 for the 8GB and 16GB versions, respectively. The smartphone has been selling like hot cakes despite users complaining of distorted calls and buzzing issues.

With the device on backorder, those who wanted to order a Nexus 4 for Christmas 2012 will have to wait a lot longer before they can finally lay their hands on the smartphone.

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