The saga of the eventual launch of the global version of the Alcatel Idol 4S with Windows 10 continues. First, it was launching in the UK, then it was launching but it was delayed until August 7, now if you go to pre-order one you'll be met with an "out of stock" message.

Are you interested in Alcatel's new Idol 4 Pro Windows phone?

Out of stock means precisely that, so if you do want one of these £420 Windows phones then you'll have to wait even longer. But why exactly is it out of stock? Did Microsoft have a sudden rush of demand that overwhelmed the stock allocation that was planned?

Or, is it because it's probably not going to ship on August 8 and will get pushed back again? Naturally, we hope it's the first one, but the current times have made us a little more cynical than usual.

In any case, we'll probably see what's going on soon enough. If you're absolutely keen to get a new Windows phone right now, maybe hit up HP where the Elite x3 is down to £549 with the desk dock. And you can actually buy that one.

See at Microsoft