Google could be stopping Pixel XL production soon

The Google Pixel and Pixel XL could well be on the way out, less than six months after their October release. Google’s critically well-received flagship smartphone has always had some issues in regards to stock, but a new report from Softpedia suggests that Google is already preparing to halt production on its HTC-made smartphones after Canadian Telus customers were informed that it would no longer be receiving new Pixel or Pixel XL units from Google.

In an email sent to its customers, the Canadian phone network claimed it had been notified by Google about Pixel shortages, saying: “Please be advised that we have received notice today that Google will be ceasing production of [its] Google Pixel line and we will not be receiving further inventory of this phone.” Telus then warned customers that it would therefore “not be able to fulfil your order for the selected product”.

Google, on the other hand, says everything is alive and well on the Pixel production line. In a statement to 9to5Google, the company simply explained it away as an issue of stock shortage. “We’re really excited by the demand for the Pixel XL in Canada,” a Google spokesperson said. “Telus is currently out of stock of the Pixel XL. We’re working with our partners to restock inventory across our retail channels and we can confirm that production of the Pixel has not stopped.”

Telus has so far been the only retailer to claim that Google has wound down production of its Pixel XL smartphone, but it could be a sign of things to come. That’s not to say that Google is lying – as 9to5Google points out, Telus states that Google “will be” ceasing production, not that it has ceased production – but could be a sign that Google is setting itself up for the next wave of Pixel phones.

Still, it’s unlikely Google is going to announce anything Pixel-phone-related at MWC this year, so it’s a tad early to start getting excited about the next Google flagship phone.