This Pixel 7 Pro’s $68 battery replacement turned into a $250 ordeal

Even after a decade of selling self-branded Pixel phones — and another several years of co-making Nexus, Google still shies away from taking full responsibility of a hardware company. After-sales support has yet to be one of Google’s strong suits, as my colleague Karandeep Singh recently highlighted in his account of his experience while exchanging an older device. And the same could extend to repairs if you’re planning to get a Pixel repaired, even through official channels.

A Pixel 7 Pro owner recounted a frustrating experience with Google’s repair services that led them to consider unofficial alternatives. Official battery replacement services from Google cost $68, which, at face value, appears more lucrative than third-party repairs that cost nearly three times as much. However, the phone’s owner highlights the hidden cost of Pixel repairs and the high likelihood of being rejected for trivial issues.

The phone’s owner shared their experience in a Reddit post, revealing they were forced to make three trips to get the battery replaced. On the first visit, they were turned away because the Pixel 7 Pro had a custom ROM installed, which is justifiable. However, their second visit to the service center turned out to be fruitless because the store did not have a battery in stock. What aggravated the user allegedly were vague responses being offered by the staff, who told them the part could arrive “maybe next week, no guarantees.” To make things worse, the store refused to share a contact number, which would have allowed the user to call before visiting again.

The user then contacted Google’s online support, which promised to get in touch with the store in the “next 24 hours,” only to respond later that the said store was “unavailable.” This is despite the fact that Pixel 7 and 7 Pro batteries are prone to swelling.

On their third and final visit, the user was finally able to submit their phone for a battery replacement. But nearly 20 minutes after the service center took it in, they informed the customer that the screen had signs of burn-in and deemed the display “defective.” The store then informed us that the screen would have to be replaced along with the battery, which would raise the total to $250. Another similar incident came to light recently, in which Google denied a user under-warranty repairs, citing nonexistent damage to the display. Instead of a free repair to fix an eSIM issue, the user was asked to pay $300.

The user further contends in their post that Google rejects repairs for minor wear and tear to avoid bearing responsibility for keeping the display intact while prying open the back to replace the battery. This assumption may be partly true, as the Pixel 7 Pro doesn’t score highly for repairability. At the time of its launch in 2022, YouTuber PBKreviews highlighted the difficulty of opening the back cover or removing the battery due to the strong adhesive used in manufacturing.

The user also claims this is planned obsolescence, or Google pushing consumers to buy newer devices instead of fixing existing ones to make profits. Many commentators on the post seem to agree.

Understandably, not every user would be confident (and competent) to handle this repair themselves. So, Google ruling out the possibility of repairing an otherwise functional three-year-old device can be infuriating, nonetheless.

The user also claims this is planned obsolescence, or Google pushing consumers to buy newer devices instead of fixing existing ones to make profits. Many commentators on the post seem to agree.

Understandably, not every user would be confident (and competent) to handle this repair themselves. So, Google ruling out the possibility of repairing an otherwise functional three-year-old device can be infuriating, nonetheless, and we hope Google can rectify these issues.