According to a number of reports, the 8GB version of the much-raved-about Google Nexus 7 tablet is the only model which is currently available in the US and, that too, only on Google's own Google Play store --- with all other bigwig retailers having sold out their stocks of the 16GB version of the device!

While Google has placed a "ships soon" sign on the $249-priced 16 GB Nexus 7 version, there is no revelation about when this model will be available again. And, with the tablet reportedly `out of stock' countrywide, third-party retailers are "frantically" trying to get more units of the device in stock.

Going by the reports, the stores which have officially disclosed that the 16GB Nexus 7 version is `out of stock' include GameStop, Staples, Office Depot, Sam's Club, Kmart, B&H NYC, and MobileCity. The indications about the eventual sellout at the stores had started coming in just one day after the tablet's last-week launch.

Apparently, customers are finding the 16GB version of the Nexus 7 a more attractive option than the 8GB model because the tablet does not have the advantage of adding storage capacity. By paying $50 extra for the 16GB version as compared to the 8GB one, consumers can get two-fold more storage space, with the overall features remaining the same in both the versions.