The promise of free 4G LTE from Verizon shrank from three years to two, before being wittled down to a single year and eventually returning again as a two-year offer for users of Google's Chromebook Pixel.
The two years of free 4G LTE, which promised 100 MB of data each month for the duration of the term, ended roughly one year into the agreement for customers who purchased the Pixel, Google's high-end Chromebook.
Google initially promoted the inclusion of three years of high-speed data for the Pixel, a promise that can still be seen on Google's website, but Verizon would only settle on delivering two years of its 4G LTE service to Pixel owners.
Google, on June 24, began issuing $150 Visa gift cards to Pixel customers who had their data plans ended prematurely. The Visa gift cards are the same as cash, meaning they can be applied to any of the Pixel owners' expenses.
A Verizon spokesperson classified the termination of high-speed data to Pixel customers as a mistake. The spokesperson stated not all Pixel LTE customers were affected by the early termination of data service.
"We do understand that a very small number of Chromebook Pixel customers may have had a promo end prematurely," stated the spokesperson. "We apologize for this, and will work with these customers to address the situation."
The luxury Chromebook was first released in February 2013 and termination of data service for Pixel devices reportedly began in April 2014.
A monthly ration of 100 MB of data may seem a bit meager for a device that displays 4.3 million pixels, twice the count of a 1080p HDTV.
"With the Pixel, we set out to rethink all elements of a computer in order to design the best laptop possible, especially for power users who have fully embraced the cloud," stated a press release from Google on the Pixel. "The philosophy of Chrome has always been to minimize the "chrome" of the browser. In much the same way, the goal of the Pixel is to make the pixels disappear, giving people the best web experience."
Along with mobile broadband service through Verzion, Chromebook Pixel owners also received 12 free sessions of inflight Internet service from GoGo and a terabyte of cloud storage, for three years, from Google.
The Chromebook Pixel was offered in two versions: the Wi-Fi version of the Chromebook was set at a price of $1,299 and the LTE version shipped for $1,449.
