Google, like many other phone manufacturers, is finally selling refurbished Pixel phones on its web store. This is great because the last thing this world needs is another 500 grams of e-waste sitting in a landfill that can be repaired and resold. It would be even better if Google took this seriously.
I love the idea of buying a refurbished cell phone. You get a warranty from the manufacturer, so if you have a problem with your hardware, you can trust that it will work because someone who knows what it is doing has taken care of it. This is not the case when buying a used cell phone. Therefore, many people spend a little more money to buy a fully repaired mobile phone after returning it.
There’s a right way to do it, and there’s even a way Google does it.
A look at the current range of mobile phones on sale reveals the problems with Google’s strategy. Displays Pixel 6a, Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 7, and Pixel 7 Pro. You may have already noticed the first problem. Three of these five smartphones will not be updated to Android 16.
Pixel 6 series smartphones will no longer see platform updates in October 2024, or within a few days of this writing. Security updates will be available until 2026, and while I think security updates are more important than version updates, most people don’t think so. Buying a “like new” phone directly from Google and not being able to access some of the new features you’d see with a new OS upgrade just a year later worries many buyers who participate in the program. Probably.
This is difficult because these phones are very easy to use and are likely to be great for many people. But that’s not the case for people who buy phones directly from Google. They are technology enthusiasts and are more likely to care about new features and Android versions.
I don’t know what Google is supposed to do with these phones. I know what I would do if I were independent and extremely wealthy like the executives at Google. Donate to them. Repair them and deliver them to people in need around the world. Again, I’m not trying to make money selling cell phones, so my opinion may not matter here.
Another, and potentially bigger, issue is price. I’m not going to buy a refurbished phone from Google because the amount they ask is too high.
You can buy a new Pixel 7 Pro for less than what Google is asking for a refurbished Pixel 6 Pro. Brand new, still in packaging, new model year. Oh, and it’s also updated to Android 16. If you want to spend $539, buy a $399 Pixel 7 Pro and some good earphones instead of spending it on a year-old refurbished smartphone.
It’s easy to laugh off this as just Google being Google, but this is a serious problem. If you set the prices of these phones very high, people won’t buy them. Google doesn’t intend to store them forever, and eventually the easily available materials will be removed and the rest will go to landfill.
I don’t know about you, but I want to leave this place better for my grandchildren. We have to find something because we can’t stop the consumerist mindset that has permeated so many people. We like to buy things even if we can still use what we already have. Companies that tempt us to buy their products have a responsibility to figure out what happens to them once we’re done with them. Repairing and reselling it is a great idea, but this method won’t work.
Google can afford to sell these refurbishments very cheaply, and because Google’s services get more attention, Google makes even more money selling ads. I don’t know why companies don’t do that, but they should.
