It seems like Google’s most challenging job with the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL was not to design the phone and its features, but to fix all the quality issues customers have been complaining about. In the last week or so, buyers have bombarded various forums with Pixel 2 XL problems. Fresh reports suggest that users are suffering from yet another issue, and it has to do with the Pixel 2 XL audio.
Pixel 2 XL audio recording sounds ‘tinny’
Most of the issues reported previously were about the 6-inch Pixel’s display. The Pixel 2 XL audio recording troubles have nothing to do with the display. Users in the Pixel User Community forum said that the phone records terrible-sounding audio when capturing video footage. One user wrote, “My new Pixel 2 XL sound quality is very bad when I am shooting a video. The sound seems like I am in a tin can with very high pitch.”
Just like the display problems, the audio issue seems to be affecting only the larger Pixel 2 XL. There have been no cases of the smaller Pixel 2 showing the same behavior. One of the users uploaded a recording in which the audio sounds crappy at best before returning to normalcy. Even before users started reporting the Pixel 2 XL audio problems, Cnet had said that Google’s new 6-inch phone didn’t have good audio capabilities.
In the video below, you can hear the distorted sound. You don’t expect that from a smartphone. And you definitely don’t expect that from a phone that costs upward of $900. The user who recorded the video said they returned the phone because of the problem. It is unclear how widespread the Pixel 2 XL audio recording issue is. Fortunately, Google is aware of the issue.
As per comments in the Pixel User Community, the audio issue occurs only occasionally. It means it’s a software problem rather than a hardware one. Google has confirmed to Cnet that it was already working on a fix that will be rolled out in the “next few weeks.”
The long list of Google Pixel 2 XL problems
This is not the only audio issue with the Pixel 2 XL phones. There have been reports of high-pitched noises and clicking sounds coming out of the speaker. Google has promised to fix them via software updates. In some cases, the phone’s dual speakers have been found to play back audio at different volumes.
Separately, there have also been complaints about the new Pixel’s rear camera, which is arguably the best smartphone camera in the world. Some users have experienced an issue where portrait mode pictures are captured as burst photos. No background blur is applied even in portrait mode. Google hasn’t yet acknowledged this issue, but it doesn’t appear to affect too many users.
Other major Pixel 2 XL problems include a washed-out display and burn-in screen. Google is working to roll out a series of software updates in the coming weeks to fix these problems. The company has also increased the warranty on Pixel 2 phones from one to two years.
Many Pixel 2 XL owners are experiencing random app crashes when using Android Auto. Some said the crashes occur only while using Google Play Music or Google Maps. Others have noted that other apps have also been crashing. Google has sought detailed reports from customers.
The Pixel 2 almost came with a pair of earbuds
Are you disappointed that the Google Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL don’t come with earbuds? A fresh evidence suggests that Google had seriously considered adding Pixel Buds-like earbuds in the Pixel 2 box. But something made the company change its plans at the last minute. A customer named Lucas Everett recently purchased a Pixel 2 from a Verizon store.
https://twitter.com/lucaseverett/status/923969809779437569
Inside the box, there was a cutout for a pair of earbuds, though Google had not included the earbuds. The Inside the box booklet also mentioned the invisible earbuds. Google hadn’t included the USB Type-C to 3.5mm headphone jack either in the box. The USB-C to 3.5mm jack adapter comes with every Pixel 2 retail unit. A Verizon representative told Everett that none of the other Pixel 2 boxes had such cutouts for earbuds.
Google has confessed, according to Phone Arena, that the box that Lucas Everett received was an early design for the American market. It lends further credibility to the evidence. The search engine giant might have removed the earbuds due to cost issues. Do you think the earbuds would have influenced your decision when buying the Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL?
