Verizon sending free Daydream View headsets to some Pixel owners

We have been reporting for some time that demand for the Google Pixel and Pixel XL phones continues to exceed supply, especially for the larger Pixel XL. Now it looks like Verizon Wireless, the exclusive US carrier for the phone, is trying to make up for these shipping delays by offering some of those buyers a free Daydream View VR headset.

Many users on Reddit who have ordered a Pixel phone have posted word online that they have received calls from Verizon telling them they will be getting a free Daydream View headset. Some of the users have already received their Pixel phone, but only after a number of delays, while others who have gotten these calls have yet to get their phones.

It would appear that Verizon is trying its best to apologize for the shipment delays that have hit the Pixel with this free offer. Normally the Daydream View headset costs $79, although a current promotion from Google has lowered the price down to just $49 until February 25.

A quick check of the Verizon site shows that the black 32GB Pixel is the only model that’s available for immediate shipment. The white 32GB model will ship on February 14 if ordered today, and the blue version will ship on February 28. The black 128GB Pixel will ship on February 14, and the white version will ship out on March 10. It’s even worse for the Pixel XL. The 32GB version will ship on February 21, but all of the other colors and models have shipment dates in March. That includes a date as late as March 31 for people who want to get the white 128GB model.

Google recently said that it is “working with our partners to restock inventory across our retail channels” in reference to an incorrect report that claimed the company was stopping production of the Pixel phones. While Google is clearly trying to make as many Pixel devices as it can, we suspect that it will be making more apologies, and possibly offering more freebies, to frustrated customers.