Samsung's flagship device for the latter half of 2016, the Galaxy Note 7, is being eagerly awaited by local phablet fans. Following the global unveiling on 2 August in New York, it was expected to arrive in South Africa from 1 September onwards. The date of availability has now changed, with Samsung South Africa postponing the release until 23 September 2016.

Part of the reason behind release being pushed back was a high volume of global orders, according to Craige Fleischer, director: Integrated Mobility at Samsung South Africa. “The overwhelming global demand for the new and improved Galaxy Note 7 resulted in a flood of orders. Appropriation of the initial consignment has required us to relook the local availability date of the smartphone to ensure fulfilment of all early orders,” says Fleischer.

As far as pre-orders go, the device will be available via various local carriers from 9 September. That said, Vodacom's Galaxy Note 7 pre-order page has it going live on 1 September, which makes pre-order status a tad unclear at this stage. Added to this, is a lack of official pricing for the device. For this iteration, Samsung will not have a 32 GB version to start things off, but rather  a new 64 GB variant to serve as the base model.

Those opting to pre-order between 9 and 23 September will also receive an accessories kit worth an estimated R1 299. It consists of a wireless charger, clear soft phone cover, USB Type-C / USB adapter cable and screen protectors.

While the postponing might have frustrated phablet fiends in SA, it will still remain a highly coveted device when released locally.