Google is lastly promoting refurbished Pixel telephones by itself internet retailer like many different telephone makers do. That is nice to see as a result of the very last thing this world wants is one other 500 grams of e-waste in a landfill when it may be repaired and resold. It could be even higher if Google have been severe about it.
I really like the concept of shopping for a refurbished telephone. You get a guaranty from the producer and you may belief that something flawed with the {hardware} was addressed by somebody who is aware of what they’re doing so it really works like it’s presupposed to work. You aren’t getting that once you purchase a used telephone, so numerous of us will spend a little bit extra for a telephone that was made complete as soon as returned.
There is a proper option to do it, after which there may be the best way Google is doing it.
A take a look at the telephones at the moment on the market highlights the issues with Google’s technique. We see the Pixel 6a, Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Professional, Pixel 7, and Pixel 7 Professional. You would possibly already discover the primary difficulty: three of those 5 telephones is not going to get up to date to Android 16.
The Pixel 6 sequence telephones will cease seeing platform updates in October 2024, or inside days after this text was written. They’ll nonetheless get safety updates till 2026, which I feel are extra vital than model updates, however most individuals do not see it that method. Shopping for a “good as new” telephone instantly from Google and not getting access to among the new options we see only a yr later with the brand new OS improve will bitter numerous consumers on this system.
It is powerful as a result of these telephones are possible very usable and can be nice for lots of people. Simply not the individuals shopping for a telephone direct from Google, who’re almost certainly tech fanatics and care about new options and Android variations.
I do not know what Google ought to do with these telephones. I do know what I might do if I have been independently and fabulously rich like Google’s govt management: donate them. Repair them, and provides them to individuals in want internationally. Then once more, I am not attempting to earn cash promoting telephones, so perhaps my opinion would not matter right here.
The opposite, and probably greater, drawback is the costs. I would not purchase a refurbished telephone from Google for the quantity it’s asking as a result of it is an excessive amount of.
You should buy a model new Pixel 7 Professional cheaper than what Google is asking for a refurbished Pixel 6 Professional. Model new, nonetheless within the wrapper, and a mannequin yr newer. Oh, and will probably be up to date to Android 16, too. If you wish to spend $539 purchase the Pixel 7 Professional for $399 and a few good earbuds as an alternative of spending it on a refurbished telephone that is a yr older.
It is simple to snicker and assume that is simply Google being Google once more, however this can be a major problem. By pricing these telephones so excessive, individuals aren’t going to purchase them. Google is not going to maintain them perpetually, and in the long run, they find yourself being stripped of any materials that is straightforward to get whereas the remaining goes right into a landfill.
I do not learn about you, however I need to go away this place higher for my grandchildren. There isn’t a stopping the consumerism mindset that is overtaken so many individuals, so we have now to determine one thing. We love to purchase stuff, even after we can nonetheless use the stuff we have already got. The businesses that entice us into shopping for the stuff have a accountability to try to determine what occurs to all of it as soon as we’re finished with it. Fixing it up and reselling it’s a nice concept, however doing it this manner is not.
Google can afford to promote these refurbs grime low-cost and it will get much more eyeballs on Google’s companies so Google makes much more cash promoting advertisements. I do not know why the corporate will not do it, nevertheless it ought to.
