Project Fi, Google's Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) service, is offering cheap replacements for customers who have aging or broken Nexus 6 smartphones.

Customers who were lucky enough to receive an invitation to try out Google's own name-brand cell phone service can have their Nexus 6 replaced for whatever reason they like for only $100, as long as they purchased their old device from Google directly. Unfortunately, Project Fi testers who bought their Nexus 6 from other wireless carriers or retailers are not eligible for replacements at the moment.

The replacement process should be easy, according to Android Central, as customers can quickly place a call or email to Project Fi's support team and get the replacement shipped off right away, with no jumping through any hoops necessary.  

There are, of course, a few caveats to keep in mind, aside from the requirement that the old device must have been bought from the Google Store. For one thing, replacements are only honored within the first year the Nexus 6 was bought. Since the current flagship Nexus was launched in November 2014, all requests for replacements will be honored until November this year. Until then, later requests will be subject to the one-year requirement for their owners to be able to get a replacement.

Each customer should also make sure to get a replacement at the best time because Project Fi only offers one replacement per person. That means getting a few marks and scuffs should not be enough reason to ask for a replacement just yet, and if the Nexus 6 suffers no damage within the 12-month period but customers still want a replacement, they should wait until the eleventh month to get the most out of their devices.  

Also, customers should keep in mind that this is not a free replacement. They will need to shell out $100 for this, unlike other replacement programs that offer totally free replacements for damaged smartphones, such as HTC's Uh-Oh for the One M9. Still, considering that a brand new Nexus 6 is now worth $500 for the 32 GB version, paying just 20 percent of its original price is an awesome deal for quite a stellar smartphone.

Project Fi uses a combination of Sprint and T-Mobile's networks, which requires a number of software and hardware tweaks for devices to be able to use the Project Fi service. Currently, only the Nexus 6 can run on Google's MVNO, and it is unclear if Google plans to open up the service to other devices in the future.

Photo: Chris F. | Flickr