Google’s smartphones have plenty to recommend them, but they’re not perfect. We round up the most common Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL problems.
Google’s Android poster boy boasts the slickest software experience around wrapped in a stylish body, which is why our Pixel 2 XL review called it the best Android smartphone in the world. Its smaller sibling, the Pixel 2, is no slouch either, but as great as these phones are, they’re not quite pixel-perfect. We’ve been lurking on forums, digesting comments, and conducting our own testing to find the most common issues with the Pixel 2 and identify the tricky Pixel 2 XL problems that you’ll want fixes for. This is what we found.
This issue seems to be linked to the Android 8.1 Oreo update that rolled out recently, with many Pixel 2 XL users taking to the Google forums and Reddit to complain of an increase in lag between using the fingerprint scanner and the phone unlocking. One user took a video, showing an unaffected Pixel 2 XL side by side with an affected one. It seems that not all Pixel 2 XL units have been affected by the bug, but there are certainly enough for Google to take notice. The Pixel 2 and original Pixel phones do not seem to be affected by this bug at all.
Solution:
Over the last few weeks, users have been complaining their Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL devices have been randomly powering off or rebooting. The timing of the reboots seems to be random, and although some users have determined that their LTE connection was to blame, others have suffered the issue while using a Wi-Fi connection.
Solution:
There was a fair bit of controversy about the screen of the Pixel 2 XL, prompting Google to extend the warranty to two years. We deal with the most common complaints in the next entry, but there have also been reports of screen burn-in, notably from Android Central. Some people are seeing the ghostly image of some elements, like the navigation buttons, remaining on screen after they should be gone. It’s more noticeable in certain backgrounds.
Solution:
Some people are having serious issues with the display in the Pixel 2 XL. You can find detailed discussions at the XDA Developers forum and the Android Central forum. The chief complaint seems to be about the color, which is less vibrant than expected. We noted in our Pixel 2 XL review that the pOLED screen has an issue with a bluish tint when you tilt it, however, we didn’t find the cooler color temperature to be a major issue. There have also been reports of problems with grain or blotches, explained in detail by Ars Technica, but we aren’t seeing it as a big problem on our review unit.
Potential solutions:
Some users on the Pixel User Community are reporting intermittent flashes when locking and unlocking their phones. Some users have even reported flashes when booting their phones.
Potential Solution:
There have been some reports of people struggling to get Portrait Mode working when they’re using the front-facing camera to take a selfie. Thankfully, it should be a relatively easy fix. Google is rolling out a camera update that includes Portrait Mode support for the front-facing camera.
Solution:
A few people are experiencing problems with the audio on their Pixel 2 during calls. Some people report a clicking or ticking sound, others are complaining about a high-pitched noise that’s constant, and some are suffering from both.
Solutions:
There have been many reports of Bluetooth issues with the original Pixel phones since the Android 8.0 Oreo update, but there are also some Pixel 2 owners adding their voices to existing threads on the Google support forum. Some people can’t get the connection to work, others report problems with specific apps, and still others are having issues with voice commands. There was an October 5 patch designed to resolve some of these issues, but it doesn’t seem to have worked for everyone.
Potential solutions:
We’ll add more Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL problems and fixes as we discover them. In the meantime, grab yourself one of the best Pixel 2 cases or Pixel 2 XL cases to make sure you don’t have a drop damage problem with yours.
Some users are reporting unresponsive screens on the far edges of their screens, 9to5Google reports. Although the most of the screen works well, the far edges do not respond to touch.
Workaround:
Update: Google to issue a software patch to fix random reboots.
