New phones – Same old Google. New series of bugs are about to push Pixel 6, Pixel 7 users over to Apple, Samsung.
I started my tenure here at PhoneArena back in the spring of 2021 – right about the same time when Google began its own journey of reinventing the Pixel flagship. The Pixel 6 series was released in the fall of 2021 when I pre-ordered my $900 Pixel 6 Pro, and the rest is history… A history of bugs for about ten months straight.
Fast forward two years later, who would’ve thought that between me and Google, the one still settling into their new role would be… . Needless to say, unfortunately, I had to part ways with my Pixel 6 Pro. I switched to an iPhone 13 (mini) about a year ago, which despite being far less attractive and somewhat boring, gave me the reliability, which I look for when I simply need to get things done.
Well, as it turns out, I’m not the only one who’s done or soon-to-be-done with Google’s buggy Pixel experience. That’s indicated by two recent news stories about Google’s Pixel devices – I believe the titles speak for themselves…
According to a Statista survey in the US, almost 60% of participating Pixel users said they were “very likely” to switch to a different brand when they are ready to upgrade to a new phone. Respectively, only some 26% of the Pixel users said it was “very unlikely” that they would switch to a different brand of phone. On the other hand (as you can see in the graph below), Apple and Samsung users seem far more likely to stay loyal to the iPhone and Galaxy.Whether that’s a result of Google being relatively new to the smartphone game, or the limited availability of Pixels (which sell in less than 15 countries), the majority of people around the world don’t seem to be interested in buying Pixel phones (or buying another Pixel phone). In fact, according to Statista, Google’s largest market share seems to be in Australia – a whopping 5.4%. For comparison, Apple takes up almost 50% of the smartphone market in Aussieland. How come aren’t people flocking to buy a new Pixel 7a, Pixel 7, or a Pixel 7 Pro? They are quite literally some of the best value smartphones on the market right now, so… what’s going on? Well, similar to the Pixel 6 series, new Pixel phones are still somewhat buggy. And frankly, I don’t know how many attempts Google will need to get it right, but it seems like people (like me and you) are running out of patience…Google’s anti-record continues; various bugs make Pixel 7 Pro basically unusable (now fixed); green screen issues persist for some users Pixel 7 Pro user”Whether it comes as a surprise or not, Pixel 7 phones continue experiencing bizarre bugs, just like the 2021 Pixel 6 series of phones did for almost a whole year into their existence.You might’ve heard about the battery drain bug, which took social media by storm.
