Called Project Fi CS today, and conversation might explain some inconsistencies we've seen. Apparently shipping depends on inventory at local warehouses, but it goes beyond that. They said the Google Store, the Google Play Store, and Project Fi are separate entities. They all have different availability and different shipping schedules. If you ordered your phone with a Project Fi signup and financed through Fi, your shipping depends on Project Fi stock availability, and the agent today said my order may be delayed. FYI - I ordered Graphite 64gb on 10/4, estimated delivery 11/12-11/16.
He said inventory changes constantly and my order may even go out early, but delay is possible. Based on availability at Fi, if I changed to something else might be delayed even longer.
It's almost like it's a Free-For-All within Google, with no central coordination. Different departments within Google ship when they have devices, but no-one is making sure devices go where most needed. FUBAR comes to mind.
And it gets better. Regarding "Nexus Protect." When I ordered through Fi, I was told that Nexus Protect wasn't available for my device. There was a checkbox "please inform me when Nexus Protect is available for my device" (which I selected). Later, Google Store told me I could only add Protect when ordering, I'd need to cancel and re-order to add Protect (I declined). Project Fi support clarified this. Apparently Nexus Protect is available for Google Store orders, and must be added with device order. However, Protect is not available through Project Fi yet, and per Fi Support it CAN be added after device is received. No idea why Google Store didn't know my order was through Fi. Also, apparently when I ordered the device it was out of stock at Fi so rerouted to Google Store, and may not have been processed in usual manner. Perhaps I shouldn't say "processed" LOL, because the order is still Pending.
As regards 128gb devices: Fi Support said that 128gb devices are still not in stock, for any color variant. BTW - the Fi rep is still waiting for his own 6p order to ship.
Regarding the whole "have patience, it's just a phone" discussion: true, it is just a phone. Is this a "First World problem?" Absolutely. Should people get frustrated even if their order isn't late yet? Perhaps not.
At the same time, consider why people pre-order in the first place. There is an EXPLICIT agreement between early adopter and vendor in this situation. The advertising IS "be the first to get the new Nexus 6P!" Also, the estimated delivery dates were stated as "on or before." Finally - consider the supply issues. Someone who orders late and gets their order shipped immediately IS PREVENTING A PRE-ORDER FROM BEING FULFILLED. That is not cool.
Will the world end because of late phone deliveries? LOL - let's put that down as "statistically unlikely." HOWEVER - Google has always tried to cultivate a strong relationship with it's early adopters, developers, and fans. Their entire business model depends on trust and reputation. We're trusting them to safeguard very personal information, which they tell us is being scanned and used to target advertising. We're trusting them to do this in a way that protects that information, even when it isn't convenient for them to do so. All of this makes it crucial that Google deliver on promises, and be transparent and forthcoming when they fail to do so. It looks like they're trying to do that, but not entirely succeeding, and they still haven't specified what the "manufacturing" our "supply issues" are that is causing the delays. How does this relate to this product launch? EVERYTHING Google does tells us something about their Operations and Ethos. Suppose they have a rocky product launch, and fail to recover effectively, creating a hassle for their customers in the process - worst case they have p*ssed off customers that won't order from them again. But what if they make a mistake handling our personal data - but THEN fail to communicate the problem, and are unable to fix it - leading to Personally Identifiable Information being compromised? The result would be ruined lives; possible criminal prosecution, fines and lawsuits; and the loss of confidence could be a terminal blow to the company.
All of this is hypothetical of course - but the point is that people expect better from Google. On balance I'd say Google meets those expectations handily, but in this case they have some cleaning up to do. At the very least they need to acknowledge, in some detail, that there are issues. They need to explain what they're doing to fix it, and make sure it goes better in the future. Google doesn't need to be perfect at everything they do - **** happens and people know that. They need to rise above, explain the issue and accept responsibility, and clean it up. That would do more to pacify everyone than a $25 refund. In this case they could save some money AND do the right thing - an unusual opportunity.
(Sorry for the long post LOL.) /offsoapbox