The Pixel 4 was aggressively discounted over the holidays, especially from the Google Store. And some buyers over the past two weeks have reported receiving unlocked phones SIM locked to Xfinity Mobile with no fix in sight.

The first reports of this issue arose two weeks ago from buyers that purchased unlocked models directly from the Google Store. After inserting a SIM into the Pixel 4, they are informed that “SIM card isn’t supported. Ask Xfinity Mobile if this device can be unlocked.”

There are several dozen near-identical reports spanning Reddit and Google Support. Customers have contacted their original carriers, including getting new SIMs, to no avail. Reaching out to Xfinity — an MVNO leveraging Verizon —  yields a similar response as they are not subscribers.

All have been told to contact Google, with support officially sending out new Pixel 4 units. However, received devices have the exact same SIM locked issue. Some have gone through one or two replacements, with Google apparently quick to swap out.

At this point, it seems that the issue lies with Google, and could possibly involve a bad batch of phones provisioned to Xfinity Mobile. It’s unclear if a software issue will resolve, or whether a backend or carrier-level fix is required.

In theory, affected customers could receive a problem-free device if they keep swapping. Of course, it’s ridiculous to expect customers to keep sending back units until they do. The offending supply should be removed immediately to ensure the same thing does not keep occurring.

It’s unfortunate that the Pixel 4’s locked SIM issue emerged during the busy holiday season. The latest report of this occurring is from today suggesting that the problem is still active.

Thanks Miguel

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