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Google Gives Some Pixel Buyers $50 Credits Due to Shipping Delays
Todd R. Weiss
Delays in shipping some Google Pixel smartphones in late October caused the company to send out emails offering $50 credits in the Google Play store to compensate some buyers for the inconvenience.
Google confirmed the $50 credits in a Nov. 1 email reply to an eWEEK inquiry, but a spokesperson would not say how many Pixel buyers received the offer.
"We had a shipment glitch that has since been resolved," the spokesperson wrote. "We're sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused our customers."
The Google Play credit offers were sent out on Oct. 27 and the phones that had been ordered were shipped out that same week, the spokesperson wrote. "In this particular case, we wanted to offer the customers who were some of the first to order a Pixel a credit to make up for the delay in their delivery that we hope will enable them to further enjoy their new Pixel."
The new Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones have been in high demand since they went on sale Oct. 20, which quickly led to sold-out models and shortages as supplies exceeded demand, according to an earlier eWEEK report.
All 5.5-inch Pixel XL handsets in Quite Black or Very Silver are out of stock in both 32GB and 128GB configurations, while the 5-inch Pixel models in certain configurations—32GB in Very Silver and 128GB models in Very Silver and Quite Black—are shipping in two to three weeks, according to the Google Store's ordering page. Other standard Pixel models are completely out of stock, including the Pixel 32GB Quite Black version and the 32GB Really Blue Limited Edition version.
The 32GB 5-inch Pixel phones sell for $629, while the 128GB Pixel sells for $749. The larger 5.5-inch Pixel XL handsets sell for $769 for the 32GB models and for $869 for the 128GB versions.
The Pixel handsets, which Google has designed and engineered, are sold through the Google Store and Verizon, including Verizon mini-stores inside selected Best Buy stores.
The company unveiled the long-rumored Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones on Oct. 4 after months of speculation. Also announced at the time was Google's upcoming $79 Daydream View VR headset, which will arrive in November. Consumers who preordered and paid for their new Pixel smartphones were eligible to receive a free Daydream View headset through a promotional code with their purchase, while supplies lasted.
The standard Pixel phone has a 5-inch full HD AMOLED display, which is covered with Corning Gorilla Glass 4, has a 2,770mAh battery, and is 5.6 inches tall, 2.7 inches wide and 0.3 inches thick.
Its larger stablemate, the Pixel XL, has a 5.5-inch quad HD AMOLED display, a Corning Gorilla Glass 4 cover and a 3,450mAh battery, and is 6 inches long, 2.9 inches wide and 0.34 inches thick. The phones are the first Google devices to include the latest Google Assistant services built-in to assist consumers in their everyday lives.
Both phone models feature a metal unibody design with curved edges, a Snapdragon 821 MSM8996 quad-core processor, 4GB of LPDDR4 memory, a 12.3-megapixel auto-focus, rear main camera with an f/2.0 lens and an 8-megapixel front-facing, fixed-focus camera with an f/2.4 lens. The two handsets can capture and play 4K video as well as 1080p and 720p video.
Both models also include a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor for device and user security, fast charging that can provide up to 7 hours of use from a 15-minute charge, a USB Type-C port, a 3.5mm headset jack, a single SIM receptacle and a single bottom-firing speaker. Also included is 24/7 technical support for the handsets through a preloaded app that gives tech support personnel the ability to examine the phone remotely after the owner consents to the assistance.
In addition, both handsets include Google's new Android Nougat operating system with automatic updates in the background and free unlimited storage of photos and videos at original quality and full resolution through Google Photos.
As a technology journalist covering enterprise IT for more than 15 years, I joined eWEEK.com in September 2014 as the site's senior writer covering all things mobile. I write about smartphones, tablets, laptops, assorted mobile gadgets and services,mobile carriers and much more. I formerly was a staff writer for Computerworld.com from 2000 to 2008 and previously wrote for daily newspapers in eastern Pennsylvania. I'm an avid traveler, motorcyclist, technology lover, cook, reader, tinkerer and mechanic. I drove a yellow taxicab in college and collect toy taxis and taxi business cards from around the world.
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