Amid shortages of its UltraPixel camera components, the release of the HTC One has been delayed as the phone manufacturer scrambles to produce enough stock to meet demand.
Now the delay has hit the U.K., according to a statement from the phone retailer Clove. "The original launch date was due to be the 15th March. We have today been advised officially by HTC that the UK launch date has been put back to the 29th March," Clove said on its website.
HTC had hoped the One would help it break back into the mobile phone market, which is currently dominated by Apple and Samsung, but the delays mean the One will debut in many countries after the unveiling of the Samsung Galaxy S IV on Mar. 14.
"HTC is having trouble securing crucial components required for mass production of the new flagship. The components are said to be the voice coil motor (VCM) and compact camera module (CCM) that go into the HTC One's UltraPixel camera," Android Authority writes.
"The yield rates for manufacturing the camera components are between 20% and 30% for the VCM and under 20% for the CCM. These are far below what can be considered a commercial yield."
With shortages affecting the One, is seems very likely that many impatient customers will simply pick up an iPhone or a Sony Xperia Z, and customers who want the latest tech will hold out for the Galaxy S IV.
The HTC One features a 1.7 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor, 2 GB of RAM, a 4.7-inch 1920x1080 pixel widescreen Super LCD 3 display, a 4 megapixel "Ultrapixel" camera with enhanced low-light sensitivity with 1080p HD video, up to 64 GB of internal storage and runs Android 4.1.2.
Check back for the latest updates on the HTC One as they become available.