Google kills two-year “Pixel Pass” subscription after just 22 months
Two years on a Pixel Pass was supposed to get you a new phone.
Google kills two-year “Pixel Pass” subscription after just 22 months::Two years on a Pixel Pass was supposed to get you a new phone.
This is why users don’t invest in the google ecosystem. No consistency or follow through.
This is exactly why Stadia failed. I honestly think if it was a service like Gamepass Ultimate where the games come with the sub, it would've been a success. Spending $60 on a game I can only play via Google's service though? Fuck no. Never. Not in a million years.
I honestly think if it was a service like Gamepass Ultimate where the games come with the sub, it would’ve been a success.
I mean, they should've communicated better, because that's essentially what the paid subscription was: subscribing would get access to a library of free games to play. I think the library could've been better.
Even today, I'm using Geforce Now + XBox Game Pass, I find that the streaming quality isn't the same as Stadia (but the game selection is much, much better).
I used to be all in with Google. After being burned over and over again, I’ve nearly entirely exited their ecosystem with some exceptions. I just don’t trust them anymore to maintain their products for the long haul.
I used to be a huge google supporter, and I'll still take android every single day over an iPhone... but other than that google could go burn for all I care.
It's just a running joke at this point. If it doesn't sell as many ads as Search, YouTube and GMail, they'll kill it. Even if you're paying them for it.
They can't just have a little service that makes them a little bit of money. They have to have the top service that makes the most money.
I don't mind the pixels and I trust they'll stick around. So much user data to sell learn from
What do you mean "ecosystem"? Are you unable to understand the idea of making products you can opt into and out of? Just because apple tries with every move to keep you dependent on them for all your devices, doesn't mean everyone else aims to do the same.
Lots of misunderstanding in these comments. Google Fi service is not going anywhere, Google is not cancelling any services. The Pixel Pass is basically just a bundle of optional services that can be added to your Fi account for a very slight discount. You do not get a free phone, you get interest free financing on your phone. Because they are cancelling the Pixel Pass Google has given me $100 credit towards my next phone, which is a better deal than the Pixel Pass itself.
Like many people I'm not happy with a lot of things Google has been doing lately, but the Pixel Pass being cancelled is not important.
To take some sting out of the move, Google is offering a "$100 loyalty reward credit" for active Pixel Pass subscribers. You can use it for $100 off a new Pixel phone from the Google Store or Google Fi, and it expires in two years.
Thanks for pointing out that typo, I fixed the credit amount
That sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen. Telling people they get a new phone if they sign up for 2 years then cancelling it at the 22 month mark.
This is just an interest free financing plan that comes bundled with services.
No one was going to get a free phone.
Google cancelled a project?!?
/Shocked Pikachu face
I really hope they cancel Web Environment Integrity too
I want to switch to Google Fiber but I can't shake the thought that as soon as I do they'll shut down operations and pawn my soul off to Satan ISP
Yep, just like they did in Louisville.
Dude, they ARE Satan ISP.
They need to get rid of that clown Sundar. Under his "leadership" Google has been on an endless downward trend.
He's helped with the only metric that shareholders actually care about: profitability. No matter that a lot of those on-paper $ have come through gimmickry and at the expense of the long-term success of the company.
You are right. The year before he became CEO, Google "only" had revenue of $66B. Last year, their revenue was $280B.
But if you look at the revenue chart, they were headed in that direction seemingly regardless of who was at the helm. But I think he is really hurting their long-term profits. I know that might sound crazy when they are making over 1/4 of a trillion per year, but there are more and more people who will simply not even consider a Google product these days because they feel in 6 months, Google will just kill it off. Who wants an orphaned phone or watch or VR headset, let alone all the software and services they kill off.
It has been a pretty short trip from "Don't be evil" to "The cutting edge of late stage capitalism"
Didn't feel like a trip to me, more like teleportation.
i am waiting for day when google kill its search engine
That day might come unless they can get the quality of search back under control.
I wouldn't be surprised (or sad) if a disruptor comes along with a new idea and gives 'em a hard time.
Personally I've already replaced a high percentage of my Google searches with the OpenAI gpt-4 playground.
I replaced google with Kagi. It’s much much much better. So much better that I’m literally willing to pay for a search engine. It just doesn’t compare.
Already has.
Tried searching for anything on it recently?
And then they started pushing Bard which in sure will replace search as soon as it can push ads slyly in conversation
They already have, it’s pay to play now
This probably isn't a big deal, but this is (and the fact that Google is an ad company) is the reason why I wouldn't rely on any Google service or product that I couldn't easily replace in a matter of minutes.
It's this kind of knee jerk on Google's part that might save them a few bucks in the short term (presumably incentiviced with bonuses for the managers) but causes long time reputational damage over time.
I don't understand how seemingly no one up the chain considers this before pulling the plug so quickly.
Don't fuck with user trust. When you lose it it's pretty hard to get back.
I was all in for years and each product I've been burned, this is the last straw for me. As each thing I own fails or needs replacing, it won't be Google.
I am done, I looked past a lot of faults because of the overall capabilities of the ecosystem they created and they've slowly dismantled it and changed and tweaked everything to be annoying to use.
It's like they intentionally pick the best features, remove them and try to gaslight me into thinking it's better now.
I'm just done with them.
this is sooooooooooo shitty, I'd be so fucking upset
The title made it sound bad, then I read the article. It basically said they are canceling a subscription service offering. No one is getting cheated out of a phone. You could pay 45 or 55 dollars a month for 2 years and once it was over you could pay that again to get a new phone. So $1080 for their phone + google services or $1320 for the more expensive phone with their services.
It was started with the Pixel 6. The Pixel seven I see listed as $599 through the playstore. So thats $481 or $240.50/year on google services you can avoid paying for and just get the phone. Oh, and you are "eligible" for that new phone whenever you want.
This is Google's standard operating procedure.
I cannot believe that in the year 2023 people were still paying for a Google service that was supposed to last beyond 30 days. Especially one that was supposed to have a long-term reward. You would have to have so much blind trust in Google at that point.
EDIT: I now understand that this was a a two-year installment plan for the existing phone. That being said, I still don't think anyone should buy into Google products or services expecting them to have long-term support. Google has shown time and time again that they are willing to kill any and all projects at any time with almost no warning.
Well, that solidifies my plan for graphene os on this 7pro and once fairphone comes state side I'm going all in. Been moving to Proton services and this will be the first and last Google phone I get. So sick of their backtracking on everything I enjoy. Fuck Google.
I heard the latest fairphone doesn't have a headphone jack
Im running GrapheneOS on my 7 Pro and I like it very much. Only issue I had was Android Auto. That seems to be not possible to have...
This is the best summary I could come up with:
When the service launched in October 2021, Google said that every two years on the Pixel Pass would make you eligible for a brand new phone.
but Google doesn't answer its own question, saying only, "We offer the best value of our hardware products and give users the flexibility to purchase their favorite services.
We continue to evaluate offers based on customer feedback and provide different ways for them to access the best of Google."
That won't happen here, though—while new signups are no longer allowed, existing users will be able to finish out their two-year term.
You’ll receive a monthly bill for Google One, Google Play Pass, and YouTube Premium at the current discounted rate, which is visible in the email sent to you on August 29, 2023 with the subject line, 'An important update on Pixel Pass.'
To take some sting out of the move, Google is offering a "$100 loyalty reward credit" for active Pixel Pass subscribers.
The original article contains 498 words, the summary contains 160 words. Saved 68%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!
The headline is sensationalist since it implies they were going to get a free phone and Google bailed at the last minute.
Really? Because that's how I'm reading it.
while new signups are no longer allowed, existing users will be able to finish out their two-year term. The end of the term was supposed to mean re-upping with a shiny new device, but Google now says, "By the end of the 2 year term, you can’t upgrade to a new phone with Pixel Pass.".
I think Ars Technica has it wrong with that wording, the FAQ from Google support linked in that article says:
Can I still upgrade my Pixel device after 24 months?
Yes, you can still upgrade your Pixel device after 24 months, you just won’t be able to renew your subscription to Pixel Pass. You can purchase or finance your next Pixel device directly from Google Store or Google Fi Wireless, and you have the option to trade-in your current Pixel device towards your next device. Current Pixel Pass subscribers received $100 towards their next Pixel purchase good for 2 years, which can also be used alongside available promotions.
So you can upgrade your phone for the current term, but you can't renew your subscription and upgrade again.
You're reading it wrong. You can upgrade to a new phone, just not a new phone that comes with PixelPass.
They would have had to pay. It’s not like they already paid and now they’re not getting what they were promised.
I have a pixel phone and never heard of pixel pass
Say what you want about apple, but this is why they are winning. They don’t jump the gun, they don’t go home early, they stick with it consistently.
They are no more expensive than Samsung. So, other than the walled garden app ecosystem keeping all the malware out, whattcha got?
I haven't seen an ad on any of my devices in like 4+ years, nor have I paid for any monthly subscriptions.
Say what you'd like about Google and Android, I'm not exactly singing their praises or anything, but I don't think that's possible with Apple.
You can. The subscription services are optional and mostly geared towards lazy bastards like myself. I could manually back my phone up to any Mac or windows machine but I pay for the convenience of iCloud storage instead. The other subscription services are purely entertainment driven (Music, TV+, Arcade, etc.) and not required to have a fully functioning device.
As an apple user it is definitely possible. I don’t even have a million work-arounds. They’re pretty direct
that's about it.
buys a Samsung
They don’t jump the gun, they don’t go home early, they stick with it consistently.
Apple has messed around a lot with its phone payment plans in recent years, though. It's not clear whether they really want to become a bank or not.
Nothing says "keeping all the malware out" more, than constantly having to remove malware ;-)
https://www.scmagazine.com/analysis/meta-uncovers-400-malicious-apps-on-android-and-ios-apps
https://cointelegraph.com/news/fake-trezor-crypto-app-removed
https://threatpost.com/click-fraud-malware-apple-app-store/149496/
shit, they should have at least waited the two months, issue some phones to early-adopters and then discontinue the subscription saying there was too little interest amongst the users to justify keeping it up. otherwise it looks like they pulled out at the very last moment to screw people
edit: ohhhhh, you were supposed to get a new phone when singing up for another two years, then they did well cancelling it before the two-year mark
Classic Google
How dare they up their services prices like everyone else, they are the devil!
Oh what's that, if you had the service they have you $100 dollars off the phone you would have had to by anyway? Damn. That sucks that their customers will have to opt in to services instead of them all being grouped together.
No part of this isnt sensationalized.
Basically this says, "The service prices have gone up everywhere, instead of raising the grouped price we are just having you choose individual services you want"
They were eligible for a brand new phone after 24 months if they recontracted for another 24 months. If they decided to unsubscribe during months 25-48, they'd be on the hook for the remaining cost of the phone. I mention this because at least for where I am, this is the default position - this decision would just mean the user needs to get their brand new phone on a contractual repayment from a provider other than Google.
Don't this mess with consumer laws ? People who had paid for this should definitely sue.
staring blankly in GrapheneOS
I actually don't think anyone used it. The issue is Google didn't allow you to go back and add it within a certain time of your purchase. It also wouldn't let you purchase it at checkout with a new Pixel if you were already paying for one of the subscriptions it was composed of.
I think the other issue is most people aren't upgrading back to Pixel and most of their users are new and unsure if they will continue with Pixel. Personally, meh. Google kills something that isn't profitable and it's clear it wasn't being used as intended or gaining as much traction as they thought it would. On top of that it was just kind of a mess. If I buy a Pixel from Google why don't I have a week after my purchase to at least add Pixel pass.
I love my Pixel and I have had every Pixel except the 5. I will continue to buy them with or without this pass.
nooo now pit jump
Man? A lot of these comments are so damn negative.
For the record I am one of the few Pixel phone users that has had every Pixel but the 5 and I wouldn't switch and don't plan on switching.
I have just about everyone Google products in my home from Nest Hubs to Nest homes, Pixel buds, Pixelbook, etc.
The fact that it was cancelled a month before even the very first of the folks on the plan would've received a key offering of the plan makes it seem like google offered this in bad faith, and when viewed in the context of them removing grandfathered rates, etc. That view is only reinforced.
As someone who has had a nest security system and dropzone cameras discontinued, as well as removal of grandfathering status on multiple plans, I still appreciate googles stuff, but I have no expectancy that anything I am enjoying will be continued in the future, and that lack of consistency is concerning.
Succulently put.
Purchasing a new car recently, and the Polstar 2 which I liked the look of was taken off my shortlist the femtosecond that I learned it came with Android automotive.
Google's track record is appalling. This is somewhat okay if you're getting it "for free" (yes yes, "you are the product", I know), but it's wholly unacceptable if I'm paying for it and I risk Google weaseling out of updates after a couple of years.
![[HN] Google kills two-year “Pixel Pass” subscription after just 22 months](https://lemdro.id/pictrs/image/da590c04-e5e9-4de5-9b9a-77bf73c3cc1e.png?format=webp&thumbnail=256)