Google brings Preferred Care to Pixel in UK and Japan

In preparation for the launch of the Pixel 9 next month, Google is expanding Preferred Care availability from the US and Canada to the UK and Japan.

You can prepay for a two-year Preferred Care subscription (e.g. Pixel 8 Pro: $249 USD) or pay monthly (8 Pro: $12/month) for the following coverage:

• Unintentional damage such as “drips, spills and cracks”. You can claim “up to 2 incidents of accidental damage in a 12 month period, based on the date of the first repair or replacement”.
• Mechanical or electrical faults “after Google’s warranty expires, as long as the device is registered”

Replacements ship the next business day, while at walk-in locations in the US and Canada you can only get screen repairs for $29. The “All other service fee” varies and is $129 for the Pixel 8 Pro.

Preferred Care can be purchased “within 30 days of purchase” in the Google Store. You can refer to the Preferred Care eligibility information page when purchasing from other retailers.

Preferred Care is available for the following Google Pixel and Fitbit devices:

• Pixel 8a, Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel Watch 2, Pixel Tablet, Pixel 7a, Pixel Fold, Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6a, Pixel 5a
• Fitbit Ace LTE, Fitbit Ace 3, Fitbit Sense 2, Fitbit Versa 4, Fitbit Charge 6, Fitbit Luxe and Fitbit Inspire 3

Full details are available here . The UK also offers “worry-free replacement for loss and theft” by upgrading to that cover plan (“maximum 3 claims in any 12-month period”).