Pixel Camera Problems Might Be A Hardware Issue, Not Software

Just like the old Nexus line, Google's own Pixel phones are taken as the standard by which all Android phones are to be measured against. Like the old Nexus line, that may be true only for the software part. There is no shortage of complaints about the quality of the Pixel phone's hardware, even up to the latest Pixel 5 but a new and inexplicable issue with a growing number of Pixel phones' cameras may become the biggest mess the phones might face.

Complaints about the Pixel's cameras seem to have started almost more than a year ago. Initially, it was believed to be a software bug in the Pixel-exclusive Google Camera app, which is why the app is getting low ratings lately. Google, however, denies there is any bug with the app or Android, which unfortunately suggests the problem might actually be deeper than ones and zeros.

An increasing number of disgruntled Pixel phone owners have started complaining about a common problem that has been nicknamed the "Pixel camera curse". In a nutshell, the rear camera is rendered completely useless although some report it randomly working for a while before it stops working again.

Given that Google says it's not a software problem, the Pixel community is left concluding that it's a hardware problem. It still raises the question of why it started happening and, without much else to go with, some have blamed recent software updates as the cause. Naturally, Google hints it could just be the result of regular wear and tear but, given it is reported to affect the Pixel 2, Pixel 3, Pixel 3a, and even the Pixel 4, it doesn't exactly speak well of the long-term durability of Google's phones either.

Unfortunately, there is no known fix for the problem and Google recommends that affected owners contact customer support for assistance. That would only work if the phones are still in warranty, though, and it might just be their luck that some of these models are old enough to no longer be.