Google enlisted the help of B2X to provide after-sales service to Pixel 2 customers in India, the two companies announced on Wednesday. The Mumbai-based firm hence became the exclusive “Google Authorized Service Partner” in the South Asian country and will take care of all support needs of Indian consumers who purchased the Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL. The partnership entails a doorstep service seeking to make after-sales support more convenient for end users, as B2X’s technicians will visit any customers who have issues with their devices and won’t require them to turn in their handsets at one of the company’s centers. On-site diagnostics will be part of the package, though it’s still unclear whether smaller repairs will also be carried out on the go.
Google and B2X said the collaboration is one of many steps taken to ensure that Indian consumers have the best possible Pixel 2 experience, adding that a single phone call is everything that users will have to make before receiving all support they need. Individuals who’d prefer to immediately send in their devices for repairs will also be able to do so over the phone, as B2X will arrange a courier to pick up the device when users find it convenient. The same courier service will return the repaired device or a replacement unit, thus completely eliminating the need to visit any support centers, though the thereof will still be available to consumers who’d prefer to have their devices turned in for repairs in that manner. While the phone is undergoing repairs, the user will be given a temporary device at no extra cost, the two companies confirmed.
Providing premium after-sales support is one of Google’s ways of justifying the price tags of the Pixel 2-series flagships to consumers in the country, with the two handsets being one of the most expensive mobile offerings in India. The Pixel 2 starts at Rs. 61,000 ($938) and the base model of the Pixel 2 XL sports a price of Rs. 73,000 ($1,123), with the 128GB model of the larger phone setting consumers back Rs. 82,000 ($1,262). The new smartphone lineup was officially released in India on November 1st, with its online availability being exclusively tied to Flipkart.