These two past Pixel phone problems are popping up again on Google's new flagship
Less than a month after its release, the highly-touted Google Pixel 8 has received mostly positive reviews. Unfortunately, it seems like Google can't shake some of the issues of its past, as a few pretty significant problems have popped up for many users.
For starters, a weird tint issue occurred on some devices when the always-on display took on a pink or yellow color in dark conditions. After initially offering up replacement devices, Google has now promised to fix the issue in an upcoming update.
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But now, multiple users across both official Google support forums and Reddit are reporting two issues that have plagued the lineup of Pixel phones for some time -- overheating and poor battery performance.
Looking over complaints, it seems that many of the reported problems come after extended use away from a Wi-Fi connection.
It's possible these problems are both tied to a third reported issue, poor mobile data connectivity. Previous generations of the Pixel often struggled to hold a good 5G connection, and if that is indeed the case, the battery life would be shorter and the phone might run hot while it struggles to connect.
It's worth mentioning the Pixel isn't the only new flagship phone facing overheating issues. The iPhone 15 is reportedly suffering from the very same problem.
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I upgraded to the Pixel 8 Pro myself, and while I can't say I've seen any overheating, I have had times when the battery drained much quicker than I expected. And on those days, I was indeed away from home a little more than usual.
If you're having overheating issues and quick battery loss with your Pixel 8, you can try changing your mobile connection to alleviate those issues. Under Settings, head to Network & Internet, then SIM, your provider name, and then preferred network type -- essentially turning off 5G. You'll lose a significant amount of mobile data speed, but you may fix two big problems. Carriers can disable this option though, so it's not going to be an option for everyone.
Google hasn't acknowledged the new issues, but it's likely that they are related to software or firmware and not hardware, which means they could be fixed via an update. A security update is due next month, but it's not clear whether anything to resolve the recent problems is planned.