Google UK's managing director has made a fulsome apology to would-be buyers of the new Nexus 4 smartphone, blaming "scarce and erratic" supplies from manufacturer LG, but admitting that "our communication has been flawed" with both sides.
Dan Cobley, the managing director for the UK, put the apology on his Google+ page following widespread criticism in user forums of erratic and perverse delivery schedules, in which people who ordered the phones online from Google earlier saw shipping dates long after those who made subsequent orders.
The Nexus 4, made by LG to Google's specifications, runs a "pure Google" version of Android without any handset maker's alterations. The comparatively low UK price of £239 for the 8GB model of the high-specification handset - which offers a 4.7in, 320ppi screen, 8 megapixel camera, HSPA+ connectivity and NFC - attracted a significant number of buyers seeking to use it for a sim-only contract with a carrier.
But Google hit a series of supply chain problems because demand ran ahead of supply. Google has repeatedly declined to say how many were ordered worldwide, but has been overwhelmed with demand each time it has offered stock through its site, beginning in November.
Cobley said in a comment on one of his own posts told would-be buyers and those who had ordered that "I know what you are going through is unacceptable and we are all working through the nights and weekends to resolve the issue". He offered an "unreserved apology for our service and communication failures in this process", adding that he realised that "the people who ordered the Nexus 4 so early are among our most committed and loyal users".
People who ordered the phones earlier in the month complained that after being told it would be shipped in "3-5 days", that they then received no further notification from the company, and saw other people who had ordered later receiving shipping notifications. The problems have caused il feeling with a number of buyers.
Source: The Guardian
