Google is offering Pixel XL as replacement to eligible Nexus 6P owners (Update: Not anymore)

Update (9/18): The policy of replacing faulty out-of-warranty Nexus 6P units has been reversed.

Google had been replacing faulty units with new Pixel XL units for a little over a week. However, a user on Reddit recently tried to RMA their faulty Nexus 6P only to be told to contact HUAWEI instead as Google would no longer replace out-of-warranty devices. The owner received an email from a Google Customer Support Team Member with the following statement:

Hi there,
Thank you for contacting Google Support!
My name is [redacted name] and I am the next level supervisor here. I am sorry for the inconvenience caused to you due to this. As I can see that the device is faulty and need to be replaced.
Since the device is out of warranty and hence we would not be able to replace the device for you. We had replaced some of the device earlier but the policies have changed now. We’ve re-evaluated our servicing policies and cannot provide a replacement for your issue. Your best option for additional service on this is to contact the original manufacturer of the device, HUAWEI. I’m happy to provide you their contact information with you.
Thanks! [redacted name] The Google Support Team

While out-of-warranty users are out of luck, users with a valid warranty can still get a replacement. The Nexus 6P came out in September of 2015 and included a one-year warranty. If you bought yours in the first year of availability, you’re probably out of luck at this point. Google and HUAWEI, as well as their customers, have faced a number of problems since the Nexus 6P’s release. Recently, a class-action lawsuit was filed over the continued issues.

We’ve reached out to Google for a statement and are waiting to hear back. We’ll keep you updated with more developments as the details become available.

Original article (9/13): Google is apparently replacing defective Nexus 6P units with the Pixel XL for users in Canada, UK, and US, but there are certain conditions you must meet.

It’s not the camera; it’s not the design; and it certainly isn’t the battery life. The Nexus 6P is talked about to this day for all the wrong reasons, unfortunately. The HUAWEI-made phablet was Google’s one of the last Nexus-branded smartphones and became particularly controversial because of its battery and bootloop issues. Multiple users started reporting problems with their Nexus 6P after the Nougat update last December, and Google has since made it very clear that this is a strictly hardware-related issue.

The search giant was very prompt in accommodating affected users with replacement units, but what happens when you run out of replacement units? After all, HUAWEI stopped manufacturing the Nexus 6P a long time ago. Well, according to a Reddit thread, you get an upgraded model for free!

The official thread for Nexus 6P RMA-related issues states that if you are in Canada, UK, or US and own a faulty Nexus 6P device that was purchased directly from Google, you may be eligible for a free Pixel XL. As long as the screen is not cracked and there is no water damage, you should be able to send in your device and receive a brand-new Pixel XL as a replacement unit. Nope, it doesn’t matter whether you’re out of warranty or not, and nope, it doesn’t matter whether you’re a Project Fi user or not. If you’re in the latter group, you simply continue your payments as if you still owned a Nexus 6P.

According to the thread, Canadian Nexus 6P users should expect to receive the 32 GB version of the Pixel XL regardless of the storage option on their Nexus 6P while everyone else should get the 128 GB version of the Pixel XL. Don’t ask. Not only that, the post clarifies that some UK users are receiving Nexus 6P units again instead of the Pixel XL, so for those of you across the pond, it may also depend on your luck.

While the process sounds a little arbitrary (e.g. why do certain countries get the Pixel XL, and why does Canada only get 32 GB?), it’s good to see that Google is taking the necessary steps to provide support to frustrated users, most of whom went through more than three Nexus 6P replacement units in the past two years or so.

Have you started your RMA process yet? Were you able to successfully upgrade to a Pixel XL? Let us know by leaving a comment below!