Pixel 6 pre-orders are so delayed your estimate is basically meaningless

Carriers and retailers alike can't lock down delivery dates

After months of rumors, leaks, and wild speculation, the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro finally arrive on store shelves tomorrow. With glowing reviews for both phones, it's no wonder that plenty of users are excited to try out Google's new flagships. Unfortunately, not everyone will get that chance — even if they got their orders in on time last week.

Over the last few days, we've seen dozens of reports on social media of delayed shipments for phones initially slated to be delivered tomorrow. Some AT&T customers took to Twitter and Reddit to complain about estimations sliding back as far as December 16th. In some instances, delivery dates were pushed back weeks, only to rebound and ship on time and as expected. Of course, not everyone has been so lucky — you don't need to look far to find plenty of buyers stuck waiting for their orders to arrive.

It's not just AT&T customers who have been affected. Folks who took up Verizon and T-Mobile on their respective pre-order discounts have also faced issues, ranging from outdated shipping info and uncharged cards to, naturally, delayed arrival dates. Those who managed to get an order in on the Google Store — despite countless crashes and error codes — have also faced some difficulties getting orders on time. Some have seen so many updated dates that the word "estimation" has, in effect, become completely meaningless.

We reached out to all three major carriers in the US. Responding to a request for comment, an AT&T spokesperson told us the following:

We are currently shipping preorder devices to customers. For a select few variants, there may be delays based on inventory from the manufacturer and we're working to get every customer their device as quickly as possible.

We have yet to hear back from T-Mobile or Verizon.

This confusion marks a rough start for what may be Google's most important phone to date. The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro have massive marketing campaigns behind them — not to mention the launch of its first-ever custom SoC. There's a lot of pressure on these devices to perform well sales-wise, with Google even mentioning the upcoming launch during yesterday's quarterly earnings call as something to pay attention to in Q4.

Still, some of this mess was to be expected. Between supply chain struggles affecting everyone from Motorola to Samsung and an ongoing chip shortage expected to extend well into 2022, shipping a smartphone isn't as easy these days as it once was. Communication is crucial, though, and with possible arrival dates constantly slipping back and forth, it's a frustrating experience for any user excited to try out Google's new phone.

Thanks: Anthony, Austin

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