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Demand for the Motorola Droid X proved greater than anticipated as Verizon Wireless struggled to put one in the hands of everyone who waited in line at its stores July 15 to buy the Android smartphone.
The Android 2.1-based handset, which has a major multimedia focus, is sold out online and at most Verizon retail stores and Best Buy. This happened despite Verizon’s promises there would be no shortages of the Droid X.
When customers try to buy the phone through the Verizon Droid Does Web page, they are greeted with this note: “Due to high demand, this device will ship by 7/23.”
A Verizon spokesperson confirmed the delay for eWEEK July 16:
“Customers have been enthusiastic about the launch of the Droid X by Motorola, and inventory is either out or very low in some parts of the country. Customers may continue to order their phones, and our expectation is the phones will ship on or before July 23. We have weekly shipments scheduled.”
Verizon told Android Central that customers waited in line early July 15 to buy the device.
This isn’t the first time Verizon and its phone maker partners have struggled to meet demand. The HTC Droid Incredible, another popular Android 2.1 device, is out of stock until Aug. 9.
Endowed with a 4.3-inch screen and 8-megapixel camera, the Droid X is a smartphone with a multimedia focus, recording HD video at 720p HD and offering an HDMI-out port to let people play their shoots on a bigger screen.
The battery life is surprisingly strong for a smartphone with such a big, graphics-intensive screen, which will benefit from the faster forthcoming Android 2.2 build.
Verizon’s shortage is a spot of bad news for the No. 1 wireless company in the United States.
But it is bound to put a smile on the face of the Google Android team, which has seen more than 60 smartphones based on its OS come to market. Sellouts mean a lot of people are buying the phones, which Google hopes to seed with mobile ads.
Google executives said on the company’s financial earnings call July 14 that growth prospects for mobile advertising on Android and other smartphones remain great.