Following in the footsteps of the Pixel 6a, the entire Pixel 6 series is no longer available from Google as a refurbished model.
My Pixel 6 Pro should have lost support after it received Android 15 in October 2024. My phone and the Pixel 6 were each promised three years of Android updates. Then, Samsung decided to offer seven years of Android updates with the release of the Galaxy S24 series in January 2024 and that led Google to extend the number of Android updates for the Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 lines to five. So not only was I able to update my phone to Android 16, my Pixel 6 Pro will also receive Android 17 next year.
Last year, Google introduced the Certified Refurbished Pixel Phone program for Pixel models. Under this program, previously owned Pixel models, starting with the Pixel 6 series, were priced with as much as a 40% discount from a model’s original retail price. These phones are put through a refurbishing process that inspects the device’s battery, display, and casing. Any necessary repairs are made using genuine Google parts. Each refurbished model will have the latest version of Android pre-installed, a compatible charger placed in the new box and given a one-year warranty.
As a result, last year the refurbished Pixel 6, at $339, was the cheapest ticket into the Pixel ecosystem. The Pixel 6 Pro was priced at $539. Now, Google has removed the Pixel 6 series from the Certified Refurbished Pixel Phone program leaving the Pixel 7a ($339), and the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro priced at $359 and $538, respectively.
