Cracked Nexus 6P? You're not the only one

By David Curry November 9, 2015

nexus-6p-cracking — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Nexus 6P might be one of the best Nexus devices ever made, but that doesn’t absolve it of all problems. Multiple owners have reported damage to the rear glass panel on the Nexus 6P, appearing in less than 24 hours.

Several Reddit users chimed in on a highly upvoted thread showing proof of the damage. It is not clear if this is widespread or an unfortunate batch of devices, though the cracks are appearing on devices in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

1 of 3

nexus 6p glass crack 2 — Reddit user: freshprinceofsf Image used with permission by copyright holder

nexus 6p glass crack 3 — Reddit user: gravles Image used with permission by copyright holder

nexus 6p glass crack — Reddit user: Backglasscrack123 Image used with permission by copyright holder

Google has not commented on the apparent issues with the Nexus 6P, diverting most complaints to Huawei. One owner also claimed that Google will only replace one device, and that after that it will abandon the owner and sends them to Huawei.

Huawei has been rather unresponsive as well, not commenting on the apparent design flaw. The same user said that Huawei is diverting complaints to a third-party U.S. seller, instead of dealing with the issue and replacing devices.

We aren’t sure where the cracking stems from, but Reddit user RedHeadedMenace makes a convincing assessment:

“This could be caused by the method they use to temper the glass. The method used to temper Gorilla glass involves giving the glass ion baths to strengthen it. Due to the strong attraction of the glass particles to one another and compression of the whole, the glass develops lines of internal torque and stress, leading to explosive results if the glass is impacted or pressed from the wrong angle. Because most of the potential damage to your screen comes from the face of the glass, they temper it to resist head on impact, at the cost of durability in sheer impacts. To make up for this, most screens (including the 6P’s) have a very small plastic shock ring between the case and the screen. The visor does not appear to have one of these.”

Our review unit didn’t crack under the pressure, making us suspect there was a manufacturing batch flaw. Some users have piped up claiming their unit is fine after weeks of use, but it doesn’t look too good for the Chinese-made Nexus device.

Have you had issues with your Nexus 6P? Tell us in the comments.

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