Earlier this month, the Microsoft Store began accepting pre-orders for the Elite x3 in the UK, HP"s new Windows 10 Mobile flagship, which the company originally announced at Mobile World Congress in February. A week later, on August 11, HP opened UK pre-orders for the device too.
Microsoft originally listed the Elite x3 at £749 - a price that included the Desk Dock accessory for Continuum, allowing buyers to use the phone with a mouse and keyboard when connected to a larger display - and said that shipments would begin on August 18. But a few days ago, it reduced the price to £706.80 - matching that of HP.com - and pushed back its release date to August 22.
Earlier today, when the handset should have been released, Microsoft suspended pre-orders on its store, and instead displayed an "out of stock" notice on its listing.
Hours later, the device is available to pre-order again - but its store listing now indicates that deliveries have been pushed back for a second time. The Microsoft Store now says that it won"t be available until September 6.
That"s not an error in the store listing either - a Microsoft Store sales rep also confirmed to Windows Central that "the release date has been delayed until the 6th of September".
Meanwhile, HP"s store listing still offers no concrete information regarding when the Elite x3 will be available in the UK. HP.com has said that it will be "delivered in 5-10 working days" since August 11.
Whenever deliveries eventually begin, the Elite x3 will ship without a functional fingerprint reader, and without legacy app support through HP Workspace, both of which will be enabled via future software updates. HP also says that the handset"s IP67 dust- and water-resistance rating, and its MIL-STD-810 rating - ensuring that it can withstand a drop onto a hard surface from up to one meter - are still "pending".
HP revealed UK pricing for the standalone Elite x3 handset and Desk Dock today, along with other official accessories, such as a stylus, wireless charger, and covers for the device.
Source: Microsoft Store / HP.com