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Google finally sales of refurbished Pixel phones on its own web store, as do many other phone manufacturers. This is great to see because the last thing this world needs is another 500 grams of e-waste to end up in landfill where it can be repaired and resold. It would be even better if Google was serious about this.

I like the idea of ​​purchasing a refurbished phone. You get a warranty from the manufacturer and can trust that anything wrong with the hardware is fixed by someone who knows what they’re doing so it works the way it’s supposed to. You can’t tell when you buy a used phone, so many people will spend a bit more for a fully built phone once it’s returned.

There’s a right way to do it, and then there’s the right way Google does it.

a glance phones currently for sale It highlights problems with Google’s strategy. We see Pixel 6a, Pixel 6. Pixel 6 ProPixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. You may have already noticed the first problem: Three out of five phones will not update to Android 16.

Pixel 6 series phones Stop seeing platform updates in October 2024or within a few days of this article being written. They will still buy security updates I think updates through 2026 are more important than version updates, but most people don’t see it that way. Buying an “as good as new” phone directly from Google and not being able to access some new features We see that after just one year of the new operating system upgrade, many buyers will be put off by the program.

It’s hard because these phones will probably be very useful and great for a lot of people. It’s not just people who buy phones directly from Google, who are likely tech savvy and interested in 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 incredibly rich like Google’s top executives: forgive them. Fix them and give them to people in need around the world. Also, I’m not trying to make money selling phones, so maybe my opinion doesn’t matter here.

The other and probably bigger problem is the prices. I wouldn’t buy a refurbished phone from Google for the price they’re asking because it’s too much.

you can buy a brand new Pixel 7 Pro It’s cheaper than what Google is asking for a refurbished Pixel 6 Pro. Brand new, in packaging and one model year newer. Oh, and it will update like this: Android16more. If you want to spend $539, buy the Pixel 7 Pro for $399. good headphones rather than spending it on a refurbished phone that is a year older.

It’s easy to laugh and think that this is Google again, but this is a serious problem. Because the prices of these phones are so high, people will not buy them. Google won’t keep them forever, and eventually they’ll be deprived of any easy-to-obtain material while the rest goes to landfill.

I don’t know about you, but I want to leave this place better to my grandchildren. There is no way to stop the consumption mentality that has taken over so many people, so we need to find something. We love buying things even when we can still use the things we already own. The companies that convince us to buy this stuff have a responsibility to try to figure out what happens to it when we’re done with it. Repairing it and reselling it is a great idea, but not doing it that way.

Google can afford to sell these renewals very cheaply, drawing more attention to Google’s services so Google can make even more money selling ads. I don’t know why the company doesn’t do this, but it needs to.