Nexus 6P Battery issues after 2 years - next steps?

[Paul Mena]

I bought my Nexus 6P from the Google Store shortly after it became available in November 2015. It's been a great phone - one that I hoped would never see the inevitable "end-of-life" announcements. Even after hearing that it would stop receiving all but critical Android updates, I saw no reason to replace it until very recently. About 2 months ago, the phone began to use an inordinate amount of battery over short periods of time with minimal usage. Now I can scarcely go more than a few hours without charging it.

If not for the lack of Android updates, I would just try to replace the battery, but I've noticed a wide range of results in doing this oneself or through a third party. I realize I'm way past warranty, and should probably just bite the bullet and buy a newer phone, but all things considered, I'd just as soon keep it.

So 2 questions come to mind: 1) what is Google's official policy toward Nexus 6Ps purchased from the Google Store with late-in-life battery issues, and 2) what have Nexus 6P owners typically done when faced with similar issues?

I should add that the phone is running Android 8.1.0, last patched on 1/5/2018.

Thanks in advance.

 

[GSDer]

You should contact Google Support directly first to see if you have any options through them; given the raft of battery related issues that have cropped up in the last 6 months or so it's not inconceivable that they may offer you some replacement/upgrade path.
I was going to try UBreakIFix - seemed like a reasonable price to swap out the battery - just haven't been there yet.

 

[Paul Mena]

Thanks for the reply. I posted to a Google forum but should probably make an official inquiry instead. Ideally I'd like to keep the phone and get improved battery life, but if Google truly stops providing Android updates, I'll have to rethink my next move.

 

[Johavihan]

Another vote for UBreakIFix. I had them replace the battery about 6 months ago because my 6P suffered from spontaneous shut downs. They replaced the battery for $80 with same day service. The 6P has been rock solid since.

If you want to keep getting security updates on your 6P, consider installing a custom ROM, like LineageOS.

 

[Paul Mena]

Johavihan - I'll check out UBreakIFix. Thank you for the suggestion.

I'll also look into LineageOS. If I keep the phone, I'd certainly like to continue to get security updates.

 

[TrackFan]

When is google going to suspend updates for the 6P? I'm sitting on 8.1.0 with Security Patch Level April 1, 2018. I'm super happy with my 6P and battery life is still pretty good for me. At this point, if I started having battery issues I'd certainly look into ubreakifix. Don't see any reason to spend another $6-900 on a phone, yet.

 

[Paul Mena]

According to https://support.google.com/nexus/answer/4457705, Security Updates are only guaranteed through November of this year. Like you, I'm perfectly happy with my 6P apart from the battery issues, which might be due to the fact that the phone is over 2 years old. I'm thinking of replacing the battery and waiting until the Pixel 3 comes out, at which point I'll have a decision to make.

 

[Paul Mena]

I ended up bringing my phone to UBreakIfix in Needham, MA, and the battery was replaced in less than an hour for $79.99. Given that doing the replacement myself risked damage to the phone, I'm very happy with the results, as well as the guarantee. Best of all, battery use is back to normal, and I can keep the phone until I decide I need another.

 

[TrekkieMonster]

For what it's worth, I'm another in the battery replacement club. I also bought my 6P in November 2015 and, aside from the battery issue, this is the best phone I've ever had. After some research, I decided to simply replace the battery last fall. At that time, Google had just started offering to replace 6Ps with Pixel 1s, but had not started offering to replace the batteries in the 6Ps yet. I had no interest in the Pixel 1, so had the battery replaced by a shop locally for $79, and I couldn't be happier. I'm fortunate that I've never experienced any of the other issues some have reported. And, unless other issues crop up, I'll definitely be keeping mine at least until Google ends the updates, and possibly longer, depending on what else may drop later this year or next. Best of luck.

 

[greatgoogly]

Hmm, I contacted the UBreakIFix shop in Hudson, MA and they say they refuse to do any work on a Nexus 6P. I bought mine in November of 2015 when it came out, Google swapped it out due to failing battery issues in April of 2017, but now Accubattery is reporting that he health of the batter has plummeted down to 90% in just the last month. I was hoping to limp it along until the Pixel 3's come out but fear the battery will be useless within the next couple months. Having trouble finding anyone who will replace the battery. Most cite that they don't have a good source for reliable batteries (I also think they are not crazy about the horror show that is actually replacing a 6P battery).

 

[Nexus6Kowalski]

Project Fi customer. At 2.5 years had the battery drain and rebooting (bootloop?) issues. I had the $5 protection plan...and about 6 months ago was about to cancel that. Glad I didnt. Google/Project Fi allowed me to exchange my Nexus 6P for a refurbished Pixel XL for $100. No hassle/no haggle.

 

[Munter2]

I would see if it fixes itself. My 2 year old 6P started draining the battery to the point where it needed to be charged twice a day instead of every other day like it worked for the past two years. I was getting ready to replace it, then I got the recent Android update. I also installed Comodo Mobile Security thinking it would stop a rogue app from draining the battery if that was the problem. The phone is now going 4 days between charges. The battery has never been this good. Only trouble is I don't know if it was Google or Comodo that fixed the battery issue and I don't want to mess with it to find out since its saving me at least $400 by not needing a new phone right now. I am on Project Fi.

 

[PhiPsi32]

I did insurance exchange 18 months ago when my original 6P battery started failing. Just replaced the battery at uBreakiFix for $70. They quoted me $60 last December (as an FYI when I had another phone repaired). Going rate is $80 but I talked them down to $70. This is it for my 6P. I'm not spending anymore money on it. I keep it as a gym beater because it has a headphone jack . . .

 

[Mary Ryan2]

THIS METHOD WORKS FOR ME!!! I have a Nexus 6P which was draining within a couple hours. On one of these boards, I read that someone let the phone drain 100% and charged it to resolve the issue. What do you know... I kept moving my finger on the screen until the battery drained and shut off, then plugged it in for a full charge, and now I can get 2 or 3 days of battery life out of my phone without a recharge. It's amazing and I recommend this method. FYI: I do not have Comodo app.

 

[phones 99]

If you have tried all the software fixes like checking what's draining your battery and restoring your phone to factory default and that still does not help. The culprit is most likely the battery itself. Batteries degrade after a number of charge cycles. For some reason, the Nexus 6P degrades faster than most usually phones. We see this phone at our shop a lot. Fortunately, the problem can be fixed by replacing the battery with a new one. If you need a new battery, you can purchase the service here: https://www.rxtechrepair.com/nexus/nexus-6p-battery-replacement.html

For about $70 you can get a new battery put in and don't have to worry about your Nexus 6P dying in about 2-3 hours.