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Galaxy Note 7 European preorder goes live, as Samsung warns stock 'limited' by demand

Samsung's gigantic new phone goes up for sale in Europe, but the South Korean tech giant says pre-orders will be limited to keep some stock for general sale.

Luke Westaway Senior editor
Luke Westaway is a senior editor at CNET and writer/ presenter of Adventures in Tech, a thrilling gadget show produced in our London office. Luke's focus is on keeping you in the loop with a mix of video, features, expert opinion and analysis.
Luke Westaway
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Samsung says it's putting a cap on preorder stock of its new Galaxy Note 7 phone in Europe, citing "unprecedented" demand for its new mobile.

As preorder sales of the company's 5.7-inch gigantophone go live across the continent, Samsung says stock will be limited -- a move that it says will ensure there are enough phones left to fill shop shelves when the Note 7 gets its general European release on 2 September.

"Market reaction, combined with extremely positive feedback from our carrier and retail partners, indicates that the Note 7 will exceed our original sales forecasts for the region by some distance," said Conor Pierce, Samsung's vice president of IT and mobile for UK and Ireland. "As such, the number of preorder units will be limited due to the unprecedented demand."

Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 looks awesome in 'Coral Blue'

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Clearly Samsung's stock pronouncement is something of a humblebrag, as the company gets to hammer home the message that its new mobile is already so popular that it can't build enough units. Selling out and underestimating product popularity aren't always great business though -- had Samsung more accurately gauged enthusiasm for its product, it could be racking up more preorders, and ultimately raking in more cash.

The Note 7 can be preordered through Samsung's online shop and other retailers, with preorder customers getting a new Gear VR headset thrown into the bargain. As of 10:30 a.m. UK time, both the blue and black Note 7 are showing up as "out of stock" on Samsung's website.

Watch this: Everything Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 can do