Nokia is on damage control by posting a shipping update on their official Conversations blog. The main message is that Nokia still expects to start the shipments by the end of September, but customers should expect to receive their Nokia N8 in October. Interestingly, nothing was mentioned about ‘final amends.’

Here’s the full post from Nokia Conversations:

There have been a few stories this morning about the N8 availability which we feel need clarification. As we have previously said, we still expect to start the shipments by the end of the third quarter. As with every global launch, when the device reaches the hand of the customer will vary by market and operator.

We have received a record number of online pre-orders for the Nokia N8. We had targeted our online pre-order customers to receive their N8s by the end of September. As it can take time from the beginning of shipment to arriving at their doorstep, in full transparency, we have advised our pre-order customers that they should expect their new Nokia N8 in October.

Update: I reached out to Nokia USA after reading in the comments below that availability of the Nokia N8 is now showing “end of October” on the pre-order page. This is their response:

The first shipments of the Nokia N8 are expected to start by the end of September, and consumers in the U.S. are expected to receive their devices thereafter. As with every global launch, when the devices reach customers will vary market to market.