TechCrunch reports that Google is making up for the delays by sending customers $50 Play Store vouchers to spend on apps, games, movies and music once their phone finally arrives. People who have pre-ordered a Pixel that won’t arrive by its stated shipping date will receive an email with a free promotional code to redeem on Google Play.
The emails don’t say how much longer it will take before the phone arrives. Instead, Google explains “it’s going to take a little longer for you to receive your package than we expected,” handing over the Google Play Store credit as a way to avoid consumer frustration.
The majority of Pixel variations are currently out of stock at the Google store. The Pixel XL is even harder to obtain. All the models are listed as out of stock. The blue 128GB version is even listed as “unavailable,” suggesting Google has exhausted its entire production run of the device.
The Pixel and Pixel XL have proved to be more popular than Google had anticipated. Despite a high price tag that has attracted criticism, the phones have quickly sold out and remained unavailable for several weeks. Google told TechCrunch that it’s working to distribute new stock but the demand for new handsets remains high.
“We’re thrilled to see the excitement for our new Pixel phones, and frankly pre-order demand has exceeded our expectations,” the company said. “We’re working to restock our inventory as soon as possible.” A spokesperson added that a “shipment glitch” caused many of the initial delivery delays. It has since been resolved and the company is beginning to clear its backlog of orders for shipping.
The phones have been widely praised throughout the media. Ars Technica described the Pixel as “the best Android phone,” a direct rival to the iPhone that raises the stakes in the smartphone market. The high-end devices are something entirely new, phones built from scratch by Google that combine powerful hardware with a unique Android interface led by the company’s new Google Assistant AI.
The Pixel uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 821 processor and features 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Its 12.3-megapixel camera is the best on the market, according to Google’s benchmark results obtained from the industry-leading test DXO-Mark. The phones support virtual reality content using Google’s new Daydream View headset, compatible with the Daydream VR platform built into Android Nougat.
Customers who have pre-ordered the $649 Pixel should receive their phones in the next few weeks. Orders affected by the shipping glitch should arrive this week with later purchases coming in the next month. One customer said their original late-October delivery date has been rescheduled to December though, indicating how many orders Google still has to fulfil.
