HP introduced its Elite x3 smartphone at the MWC 2016 in February and the Microsoft Store in the U.S. opened up preorders for the handset earlier in September.
However, shipments of the phablet have encountered an unforeseen hiccup as Microsoft has suddenly halted the sales of the HP Elite x3 in the U.S, and this is apparently due to an issue with the phablet's camera and overall performance.
So if you preordered the $799 Elite x3 in the U.S., you will have to exercise some patience as it will be a few more weeks — mid-October, to be precise — before the Windows 10 Mobile-powered handset is shipped out.
Reportedly, HP Elite x3 units in the U.S. will not be sold before Oct. 11. While Microsoft is yet to officially announce that it has halted the sales and the reason behind the decision, consumers who preordered the smartphone are confirming that they have received intimation from the company.
"Just received confirmation at a Virginia Microsoft store that the Elite x3 cannot be sold until October 11th. They are waiting for updates to fix camera issues, etc. They have them in stock but cannot sell them, unfortunately," revealed a tipster to Windows Central.
The development corroborates rumors that both HP and Microsoft are working together on releasing a new firmware update for the Elite x3. The software update will allegedly enhance the device's overall performance.
The two companies are apparently working on new drivers to enhance the device's performance as well as camera capabilities before the handset is made available for purchase to consumers.
The HP flagship phone sports a 5.96-inch AMOLED QHD screen with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 pixels and protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 4. Under the hood, the handset houses a quad-core Snapdragon 820 processor and 4 GB of RAM.
It touts 64 GB onboard memory that is expandable to 2 TB, an iris scanner, a fingerprint scanner and Qi wireless charging support. The smartphone has a 16-megapixel primary camera and an 8-megapixel selfie snapper.
In yet another interesting development, HP also confirmed that the Windows 10 Mobile Anniversary Update, Redstone 1, would be pushed out in the "coming weeks" despite the fact that it was initially slated for a mid-September roll out.
This is not the first time the release of the HP flagship has been delayed in the U.S. The phablet was initially poised to release on Sept. 12, but earlier this month, the Microsoft Store confirmed that the date has been postponed to Sept. 26.
While the Microsoft Store lists the unlocked Elite x3 as available for preorder, the HP webstore shows the smartphone as "out of stock."
Hopefully, HP and Microsoft will make a formal announcement and address the delay soon.
