Google Pixel phones don’t sell in the same numbers as thebest Samsung phones. But over the last couple of years, Google’s smartphone lineup has seen a resurgence, with thecompany prioritizing its hardware efforts in 2023. With the upcomingPixel 8 seriesrumored to pack some significant changes, the company’s 2023 flagship Pixels could be a big hit among consumers. As a long-time Pixel fan and a frustratedPixel 6and Pixel 7 user though, it is important that Google addresses some longstanding issues with the upcoming Pixels.
1A cooler Tensor G3
Despite all its AI and ML prowess, the first-gen Tensor chip powering the Pixel 6 series was a hot mess. The situation improved with theTensor G2inside the Pixel 7 series, as Google made several efficiency-focused changes. But these improvements are not enough. The Pixel 7 can significantly heat up under moderate to heavy load, making it almost unusable.
The situation is even worse if you live in a region with a hot climate. There have been numerous occasions where the Pixel 7 Pro has overheated while I was browsing the internet or clicking pictures under direct sunlight in India’s brutal summer. And I am not alone with these complaints.Online forums(2) are filled with reports from Pixel 7 users about their phones overheating to the point of becoming unusable.
With climate change wreaking havoc globally, extreme temperature events are expected to become a regular occurrence. And it is important that our phones remain functional in them. I can understand when phones heat up while playing heavy games when temperatures are high, but not during regular use.
The Pixel 7’s overheating issues sting even more when compared to the likes of theSamsung Galaxy S23 UltraandOnePlus 11. These phones deliver solid battery life and remain relatively cool under heavy workloads.
With the Pixel 8’sTensor G3chip rumored to useSamsung’s 4nm fab and newer and more efficient CPU cores, it should hopefully not face the same overheating issues. And frankly, it would be unacceptable if the Pixel 8 series suffers from them, especially when thebest Android phoneshave gotten significantly better in this department this year.
2Random battery drain
Battery life has never been the forte of Pixel phones. While the Pixel 7 made some notable improvements over the 2021 Pixel 6, its battery life is average at best. But random battery drains, which have become a common issue with Pixel phones, made the situation worse. In April 2022, apesky Google Messages bugwas the culprit behind Pixel users experiencing excessive battery drain. More recently, abug in the Google appin May 2023 caused Pixel phones to run hot. Then, the June 2023 Feature Dropcaused severe battery and heating issues on the Pixel 6 and 7 series.
These are not exceptions but the norm. Ask any long-time Pixel user, and they will attest to their phone randomly draining more battery than usual out of the blue. Sometimes, the problem can be resolved with a restart, but in other cases, it requires an OS or a Google Play Services update from Google’s end.
While a sub-par chipset or modem plays a role in high battery drain, Google’s poor software QA cannot be denied here. With the Pixel 8, the company needs to step up its game and ensure these random battery drain issues do not surface from time to time.
3Better network reception
Overheating was just one of the issues with the Pixel 6’s Tensor G1 chip. Its Exynos 5123 modem wasnotorious for poor network receptionand slow download/upload speeds. With the Pixel 7’s Tensor G2, Google switched to a newer Exynos 5300 modem. It performs much better in almost all scenarios than its predecessor, but the modem’s performance is still not as good as the competition. Google’s support forums andRedditare filled withcomplaints from Pixel 7 usersabout poor network service.
You will face network and call drop issues in challenging situations. Worse, there’s a higher-than-usual battery drain when using mobile data, and the phone can get warm, which shows how inefficient the Exynos modem is. Phones with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon modem offer better network reception, especially in areas with poor signals. It’s 2023, and we should not have to complain about phones having poor network performance, but here we are.
Rumors indicate Google will stick to the same Exynos 5300 modem inside the Tensor G3 chip. However, it should ship with newer firmware and support the latest 5G standard. Coupled with a better antenna layout and other improvements, one can hope the Pixel 8 series performs better than the last two generations in the network reception department.
4Launch day bugs
Launch day bugs have become common in smartphones. Most companies release a software update on the phone’s launch day to resolve many bugs. But Pixels are buggier than usual at launch, with Google taking its time to address them. For example, the Pixel 7 series launched in mid-October 2022, but it took Google a few months toresolve the janky scrolling issuesthat were reported since day one.
The situation was even worse with the Pixel 6’s launch in 2021. There was aweird ghost-dialing bug, an issue thatprevented using external DAC,Wi-Fi issues, and more.
Bugs are a part and parcel of smartphone launches nowadays. But what’s important is how quickly a manufacturer can step up and resolve these issues. Here’s hoping with the Pixel 8 series, Google tightens its software QA further and can keep launch day bugs to a minimum.
5Wider availability
Samsung’s phones are available in almost all major markets worldwide. It is the same for iPhones. But for reasons best known to Google, Pixel phones are available only in a handful of markets. This was fine earlier when the company seemingly gave up on its ambition to be a key player in the smartphone market. But that does not appear to be the case now. And for its Pixel lineup to succeed, the company needs to bring them to more markets.
The Pixel 7 series launched in 17 countries, a big jump from the Pixel 6’s nine launch markets. With the Pixel 8, Google should build on that momentum and further expand the lineup to more countries.
But market availability is just one problem. Even in countries where they are available, the Pixels are available with selected retailers. In India, for example, you can only purchase the Pixel 7 through Flipkart. This is despite the Google online store official’s presence in the country. Worse, you can get the Pixel 7 with only 128GB storage. The 256GB variant was never put on sale in the country. Similarly, the 512GB Pixel 7 Pro never made its way to the European market.
Time for Google to step up
Google is now the one stopping Pixels from reaching their full potential. The company managed to outdo itself with the Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 series, but it has left some issues to linger for long. With the Pixel 8 this year, here’s hoping the company gets its act together and can nail down the experience by addressing these longstanding problems.
