Just days before the Samsung Galaxy S4 was set to go on sale, U.S. carriers T-Mobile and Sprint both announced Wednesday that there would be a delay in the launch of the Galaxy S4. And Samsung has just confirmed that "due to overwhelming global demand" its highly anticipated Galaxy S4 will be in short supply initially.
We usually see an announcement of supply constraints after Apple actually releases a new iPhone or iPad. Samsung is either having supply constraints or it could be a clever ploy to bring even more attention to the Galaxy S4. There is no doubt that the Samsung Galaxy S4 is going to be a hit, but when something is in short supply, that usually has the effect of getting consumers to want the product even more. Samsung needs to be careful in its marketing manipulations, as it was recently caught and fined for doing some very shady things.
T-Mobile was the first carrier to announce a delay, pushing back online sales until April 29 due to an unexpected inventory delay. The carrier had originally announced online sales would begin on April 24.
Sprint soon followed, by announcing that it still plans to launch the Galaxy S4 on April 27, but the smartphone would then only be available to purchase online and via telesales. An in-store launch would follow at a later date.
Samsung just confirmed the reasons for the delay and it sounds like carriers around the world might also face supply constraints.
"Due to overwhelming global demand of the Galaxy S4, the initial supply may be limited. We expect to fulfill inventory to meet demands in the coming weeks," Samsung said.
AT&T and Verizon have not announced any delays. AT&T released a statement saying it is "on track" to launch the Samsung Galaxy S4 in stores on Saturday. Wednesday, Verizon announced it would begin taking pre-orders for the Galaxy S4 on Thursday, April 25, with a release date of May 30.
We'll be sure to keep you updated on any further issues regarding the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S4.
