Google’s Pixel smartphones were never perfect, while they are currently known for their photo editing capabilities today, the company has come a long way from the first Pixel and Pixel XL models, in terms of build quality and performance. Google is able to pull off some interesting tricks with its latest Tensor G3 processor, like Magic Editor and AI noise reduction in videos, but it still seems to be behind the competition when it comes to performance. We aren’t just talking about raw performance, but Pixel owners have taken to various forums posting about poor battery life, heating issues and more.
According to Android Police, many Pixel 8 owners have posted on both Reddit and Google’s support forum, in an effort to find solutions. A user on Reddit has complained about poor battery life claiming that it could be down to the phone’s outdated modem. The user complained that the new Pixel 8 manages about 5-6 hours at the most where the Pixel 7 on average delivered 7-8 hours of usage. The user went on to blame the modem, which is the same as on the Pixel 7, when Google should have included a better one given the newer phone’s noticeably higher price tag.
Meanwhile, another user on Google’s support website claims that a recently purchased Pixel 8 managed under 3 hours of screen time. Turning off 5G and Wi-Fi had reportedly helped improve battery life to an extent.
On the XDA forums, users have been complaining about the Pixel 8 series phones running warm with regular use, especially when used on a cellular connection. Some users even claimed that 5G connectivity consumes battery life a lot faster than 4G connectivity. The phone also heats up less when connected to a 4G network.
The Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro were launched alongside the new Pixel Watch 2, which is also said to bring several improvements over the previous model, even though it has not seen a proper design refresh. The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro on the other hand have gotten slighlty updated designs and refreshed internals that bring new features, which are currently only possible on the new models with the Tensor G3 SoC. While the Pixel 8 has received fewer changes, the Pixel 8 Pro has also gotten a manual camera mode along with a new temperature sensor, which can be used to measure the temperature of various materials. You can read our first impressions of the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 8 Pro here.