Sprint Galaxy S4 delayed at retail, buy it online instead
If our full review of the Galaxy S4 is any indication, there should be a lot of eager tech enthusiasts asking for someone to take their money in exchange for the new device. For those hoping to get the phone on Sprint, don’t expect to waltz into a store on Saturday and have that feat accomplished. As the old saying goes, though, good things come to those who wait, so it should be worth the trouble in the long run.
Shortly after T-Mobile announced that its Samsung Galaxy S4 wouldn’t be launching as planned today, another major US carrier has had the unfortunate need to announce delays. This news will be a tad easier to swallow for those on the Now Network, however. The original Galaxy S4 release date of Saturday, April 27th for Sprint is still on, but you’ll only be able to get the device online and via telesales (1-800-SPRINT1). The in-store launch will have to wait until this sudden shipping crisis Samsung has experienced subsides.
That date is still sooner than T-Mobile users’ first crack at the device, a crack which won’t come until April 29th. Sprint wasn’t confident enough to set a concrete date for an in-store launch, but we’ll be probing our contacts to see if we can get a more specific time frame.
Of course, those on Verizon and AT&T didn’t have such early release dates pegged in the first place. Verizon only promised its device would begin shipping in May, and while AT&T’s in-store Galaxy S4 release date of April 27th hasn’t been touched yet, the online point-of-sale is still only promising a ship date of April 30th (at least for those who have pre-ordered). We’ll be seeing if Ma Bell feels any differently about that date this morning.
The commonality of the delays between T-Mobile and Sprint already confirmed our suspicion that this was Samsung’s fumble, but Sprint minced no words when it directly implicated the Korean manufacturer in the matter. Specifically, Sprint cited “unexpected inventory challenges from Samsung.” We can’t be sure if that means a shipping or logistics hiccup occurred or if Samsung’s a bit behind on its production schedule, but Sprint’s pointing the finger in their direction either way.
[via Sprint]