Google just acknowledged what Pixel 9 Pro users have been complaining about for months - widespread display defects plaguing the company's flagship phones. The tech giant quietly launched an extended repair program yesterday covering vertical line glitches and screen flickering that's been driving users to Reddit forums seeking answers. With three years of free coverage, it's Google's clearest admission yet that its premium devices shipped with serious hardware flaws.
Google finally broke its silence on the display problems that have been haunting Pixel 9 Pro owners since launch. The company announced an "extended repair program" yesterday that covers both the Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL for what it diplomatically calls "display issues with a limited number of devices," according to 9to5Google's coverage.
But anyone who's been following the Reddit threads knows this isn't exactly limited. Users have been posting photos of vertical lines running from top to bottom of their screens for months, with some reporting the issue appeared just weeks after purchase. The complaints keep piling up, painting a picture of a manufacturing defect that Google's quality control somehow missed.
The official support page now acknowledges two specific problems: those notorious vertical lines and display flickering. Both issues will be repaired free of charge for three years "after the original retail-purchase date" - a timeframe that suggests Google expects these problems to keep surfacing well into the device's lifecycle.
There's a catch, though. Devices with cracked screens or "liquid intrusion" damage won't qualify for the free repairs, which could leave some users stuck with hefty repair bills if their phone suffered other damage. You can check your device's eligibility through Google's repair portal, though the company hasn't disclosed how many devices are actually affected.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold gets even more dramatic treatment. Instead of repairs, Google's offering full device replacements for what it vaguely describes as "issues that affect functionality of the device." The separate support page doesn't specify what's wrong, but the fact that Google includes an FAQ about previous screen replacement costs suggests display problems here too.
