Pixel 3 returns to the Google Store w/ refurbished models from $249

Kyle Bradshaw | Dec 9 2020 - 11:08 am PT

Over the years, the Google Store has offered refurbished models of some of its best hardware, such as the 2017 Pixelbook. Today, the Google Store has added a new batch of refurbished hardware, including 2018’s Pixel 3.

The Pixel 3 represented one of the purest examples of the Pixel design language, with its frosted glass back providing good texture in the hand as well as serving aesthetically to create the “window” featured on most previous “Pixel” devices. The Pixel 3 was actually the last Made by Google device to feature the “window,” with the Pixel Slate and Pixel 4 both opting for solid color designs.

Launching in 2018, the Pixel 3 is still eligible for updates — including next year’s presumed Android 12 update — through at least October of next year. Following the pattern set by the original Pixel and Pixel 2, owners can probably look forward to updates through the end of 2021. One key advantage of the Pixel 3 over more recent Pixel phones is that it was actually the last Pixel device to offer free unlimited Google Photos storage, a perk that will continue until January 2022.

All of this to say: the Pixel 3 still has some life left in it. Matching that notion, the Google Store is now offering refurbished models of the Pixel 3 to buyers in the US. For just $249 — $100 less than even the Pixel 4a — you can get a refurbished 64GB model of Pixel 3 in Just Black or Clearly White. Meanwhile, for $30 more, you can double up and get 128GB of storage on a Just Black Pixel 3.

No refurbished models seem to be available in the Not Pink colorway, and similarly, the Pixel 3 XL does not seem to be on offer. More than likely, the available inventory will rotate as Google receives and certifies trade-in devices.

For the time being, these refurbished Pixel 3 units are only being sold in the US, as the Google Store’s device availability chart explicitly specifies the United States. Even then, the chart only says that the devices “might be available,” no doubt dependant on inventory.

Overall, as a longtime fan of the Pixel 3, it’s good to see Google offer more people a chance to get their hands on the premium phone. That said, shoppers should definitely take the late 2021 update expiration date into full consideration before buying.

Alongside the refurbished Pixels, the Google Store has also begun selling a limited selection of refurbished Nest devices.