Did you buy a Nexus 6P? You could be due compensation from Google and Huawei

Consumers in the United States who experienced problems with their Nexus 6P smartphone might be eligible for up to US$400 compensation after Google and Huawei seem set to settle a 2017 class action lawsuit in Northern California. The lawsuit was brought against the two companies because according to the legal filing:

Nexus 6P has a defect that can cause two different issues: ‘bootloop’ and ‘battery drain.’ ‘Bootloop’ is when a Nexus 6P allegedly begins randomly rebooting, and in some instances fails permanently in an endless bootloop cycle. ‘Battery drain’ is when a Nexus 6P allegedly has a noticeable decrease in battery life or shuts off suddenly, even when its battery life icon shows that it is charged.

The Nexus 6P was widely praised after launch (it scored 88% in our review) but suffered issues after entering  the market as the bootlooping and battery drain issues begun to be reported by consumers. Though mainly an issue for Android 7.0, some consumers reported that they suffered the same problem even when they downgraded their devices to Android 6.0. It was impossible to get the phone out of the bootloop even after attempting to wipe data or reflashing the system. A Google representative confirmed that the company was investigating the issue but blamed it on "a hardware issue" and advised consumers to "contact their place of purchase for warranty or repair options" – although device owners who contacted Huawei reported that the Chinese firm rejected any suggestion that their hardware was at fault. As neither party were willing to accept liability for the issue, the lawsuit was filed.

The proposed settlement makes Huawei and Google liable for up to US$400 to each Nexus 6P owner who purchased their device on or after September 25, 2015, at a total expected cost of US$9.75 million. Though they have settled the case, neither Google nor Huawei have admitted fault and if any Nexus 6P owners used Google’s warranty exchange programme to get a Pixel XL, they will only be eligible for US$10 compensation.

Consumers who are seeking compensation must have purchased the device in the United States and submit the required documentation between June 7 and September 3, 2019. Consumers who choose to not settle at this time will maintain rights in any future lawsuits relating to the issue.

Update: Link fixed.