Google's Nexus 7 tablet already out of stock at key retailers

Those of you looking to buy Google's new Nexus 7 tablet may have a wait on your hands.

Unveiled late last month, the tablet has slowly trickled into the retail market. Google was naturally first in line, offering the Nexus 7 as a preorder in advance of its official mid-July launch. Other retailers, such as GameStop, Staples, and Sam's Club, soon followed suit.

But a lot of eager customers apparently scooped up those pre-sales, since the tablet is playing hard to get at most outlets.

GameStop, which is selling the 16GB edition, is showing the tablet as back-ordered. Further details reveal that the gaming outlet has ordered more stock from the vendor.

A spokeswoman for GameStop told CNET that the company expects to ship a new round of tablets to its stores on August 7. The retail outlets have been taking preorders based on this shipment. Until August 5, GameStop is offering a 30 percent increase on the value of any trade-in item for customers who purchase the Nexus 7.

Staples, Office Depot, and Sam's Club all show the Nexus 7 as currently out of stock with no further information as to its availability. Google's own site is promising that the tablet will "ship soon," meaning a one- to two-week delay.

Google and other retailers started shipping preorders of the Nexus 7 last Friday. I ordered one on June 28 and received a notice on Friday that the tablet has shipped.

Outfitted with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, the Nexus 7 offers a 1280x800 pixel HD display, an Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor, and a 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera. The 8GB model sells for $199, while the 16GB edition goes for $249.

CNET contacted Google for comment on the Nexus 7's availability and will update the story when we get more information.

Updated 8:30 a.m. PT with response from GameStop.