Unexpected levels of demand have led to Google selling out of its 16MB Nexus 7 tablet. Over the weekend, online stores were displaying two week delays due to a backlog, but the $249 device has been selling so quickly that the Mountain View giant has now stopped taking orders.
The 16MB version has also sold out at all US retailers, but its 8MB sister model which retails at $199 is still available to buy on the Google Play store. According to the Guardian, Google expected customers to punt for the lower memory device due to the emergence of cloud technologies but it seems people still like extra storage on their devices. Memory cannot be upgraded on the 8MB device and perhaps the presence of a USB port (noticeably lacking in the iPad) which will allow users to copy music and video from other devices has increased the demand for the 16MB version.
On Google Play, customers wishing to purchase the sold-out tablet are asked to leave their e-mail addresses and will be notified when the Nexus becomes available again. No sales figures for the Nexus 7 have been released but it appears the high profile launch at Google I/O earlier this month followed by rave reviews have caused quite a frenzy.
The Nexus 7 is not yet available to Irish consumers on Google Play. The tablet went on sale in some retail outlets around the country last week but was quickly sold out.
Google may not have needed to bother with advertisements like this one released today.
