Related Articles
Samsung’s elusive Galaxy S4 is in stock at retailer Phones 4u and mobile network Three after shortages at launch limited its availability, the phone floggers have announced.
“Following unprecedented demand for the new Samsung Galaxy S4 and initial stock shortages at launch, we’re pleased to confirm we have taken a large delivery of the most pre-ordered Samsung smart phone ever at Phones 4u,” cheers Phones 4U exec Scott Hooton.
“This has been used to fulfil all remaining pre-orders, as well as to ensure our stores across the UK have the Galaxy S4 available for people to buy from today.”
Three too, has plenty of S4s up for grabs. “Three has now fulfilled all Samsung Galaxy S4 pre-orders,” a spokesperson for the numerical network told me, “and also has stock available through all of our channels for purchase.”
We’ve contacted other networks to find out if they’re also restocking.
Samsung has had serious trouble fulfilling pre-orders, with many Galaxy fans — and embarrassed phone networks — left fuming at the delays. “Unfortunately we have received fewer devices than anticipated,” a red-faced spokesperson for EE told me on launch day last week.
“Our stores had minimal stock to fulfil some pre-orders,” a forum mod on Three’s website
explained earlier this week, “but sadly not all.”
That implies Samsung was unable to make enough phones, perhaps because of manufacturing problems, rather than a deliberate ‘supplies are limited’ marketing strategy. It seems unlikely that it would be willing to risk annoying its retail partners simply to drum up more interest in an already super-hyped product.
It’s undeniably popular though, despite appearing in the UK with a quad-core chip rather than the octa-core effort used elsewhere.
“With 46 per cent of smart phone owners in the UK considering getting a Samsung smart phone next,” says Phones 4u’s Hooton, “we’re predicting that the Galaxy S4 is in with a very strong chance of becoming the biggest selling smart phone of 2013.” Everybody say smart phone!
Have you had your S4 yet? What do you think? Share your woes in the comments below, or on our overstocked Facebook page.
Now playing:
Watch this:
Samsung Galaxy S4
3:18
Update: Added comment from Three.
