Google Store Crashes Mar Rollout of Its New Pixel 6 Phone
(Bloomberg) -- Google’s Pixel 6 debut, seen as the company’s latest and best attempt to compete with Apple Inc.’s iPhone, was hampered by online outages that kept would-be shoppers from purchasing the device.
Customers attempting to buy the phones Tuesday immediately had difficulties. The company’s website either crashed, was sluggish or provided error messages to many users. The problems lasted for roughly two hours.
A Google spokesperson said the company is aware of the issue and is actively working to resolve it. It’s unclear if the outages stem from stronger-than-anticipated demand or an unforeseen bug. The phones are due to hit stores on Oct. 28.
Google, a unit of Alphabet Inc., made major design changes to its Pixel lineup with the latest generation, adding a custom processor and camera improvements. It’s counting on the Pixel 6 -- and the higher-end Pixel 6 Pro -- to make it a bigger force in mobile handsets. Though Google’s Android software is the biggest smartphone operating system, the company only has a small sliver of the market for the phones themselves.
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