Pixel demand exceeded Google’s expectations, shipping department is 3 weeks behind

The Pixel and Pixel XL started arriving on doorsteps for some people last week, but others received updates about lengthy delays. Best Buy, in particular, sent emails about delays up to 30 days. Google is now also telling buyers that units won’t ship until mid-November due to unexpectedly high demand. A good problem to have for Google, but unfortunate for customers.

Many people who ordered from the Google Store still have orders listed as “pre-ordered” or “pending.” Some people even have delivery windows that started this week, but their orders are still pending. 9to5Google reached out to Project Fi for some answers. They were told that the shipping department is running “3 weeks behind.” The new ship date is November 18th, not the late October date that many people still see.

It’s easy to read “pre-orders exceeded expectations” and jump to the conclusion that the Pixel is a smashing success, but we’ve heard this story before. Nexus devices have traditionally had the same problems. We don’t know how many units Google had available for purchase. Until we know that number, we can’t make any judgements on sales.