Some Nexus 6P owners reporting bootloops, potentially a hardware issue

Prior to the release of the Google Pixel, one of the best Android smartphones on the market was the premium, powerful, and affordable Nexus 6P. However, the reputation of that device is certainly going downhill with several issues popping up as the phone ages. Now, some Nexus 6P owners are reporting a bootloop issue on their devices.

Since the Android Nougat update hit the 6P, we’ve heard of several issues with the 6P but with some notable standouts. Earlier this week we reported on the still-prevalent battery failure issue on the 6P which has been floating around for a couple of months, but since the Nougat Developer Preview, users have apparently been seeing a bootloop issue on some Nexus 6P units.

The bootloop issue causes the devices to boot up to the point of the Google logo, but never further. Apparently, this issue continues until the phone’s battery has been depleted completely. Some users have even re-flashed factory images and wiped data to try and remedy the issue, but those measures haven’t worked.

Based on that, it’s unlikely that this is a software related issue but instead related to the hardware. A Google employee confirmed as much when this issue popped up during the developer preview, stating that it was  “strictly a hardware related issue.”

We understand that a very small number of users are experiencing a bootloop issue on [their] device. We are continuing to investigate the situation, but can confirm that this is strictly a hardware related issue. For those of you that are currently experiencing this, please contact your place of purchase for warranty or repair options.

We’re sorry for the inconvenience and appreciate your continued patience.

So far, it seems like the only fix for this issue is to RMA the device and get a replacement. We can only hope that Google will further address the issue and figure out what may be causing it. While a hardware-related issue makes sense, it seems too much of a coincidence that both the Nexus 6P and the Nexus 5X have seen bootloop issues following the Android Nougat update.