
Pixel 3 call quality issues - abhaysk
https://groups.google.com/a/googleproductforums.com/d/msgid/phone-by-google/dc51b6d0-258f-4277-ad50-4ede77db3326%40googleproductforums.com
======
potatofarmer45
I got a pixel 3 primarily because of the camera. I'm the sort that used to lug
around a dslr, then a Fuji x100 and eventually a Pixel. The Pixel 1 was the
phone where for everyday applications, it was good enough and in such a small
form factor it outweighed the better results of a heavier dedicated camera.

Having said that, both my Pixel 1 and 2 died within 6 months of purchase.
Pixel 1 was purchased in Jan 2017. Had the infamous microphone stopped working
bug in March 2017. Google replaced with a refurb which lasted 1 year until the
microphone and headphone jack stopped working. Got a pixel 2 which also had
quality control issues where several months later it was stuck on a perma
startup booting loop. I made the mistake of buying the pixel 2 online so I
couldn't get it covered under warranty.

And here we are with the Pixel 3. As amazing as night sight is, it annoys me
to hell that my girlfriends iphone 6s is still going strong after years.
Pixels really are not that durable which sucks because the best part of a
pixel is still miles and leaps above the competition.

EDIT: The newer Iphone cameras are getting better. If the Pixel 3 also dies
within a few months, then I'm going to Apple because I can't justify buying a
flagship phone every year.

~~~
LoSboccacc
> If the Pixel 3 also dies within a few months, then I'm going to Apple

build quality issues are not widespread to the whole android ecosystem. apple
kind of get the crown as long term phones because software support and
hardware warranties, but it's not as to say that there are no android phones
that can match them in half life.

~~~
zapzupnz
True though that may be, I think some people only want to buy the flagships
because they can be assured of a certain level of quality (no shovelware, to
start with) without having to go through hoops installing/uninstalling this or
that, or potentially void the warranty with custom ROMs.

For those people, the alternative Android offerings just aren't on the radar.

~~~
gronne
And last but not least: timely security upgrades (many years into the future)

------
cjhanks
Pixel 3 is an expensive piece of crap. Call quality sucks, battery life is
terrible. And the USB-C will for stretches fail to recognize the provided
earphones as an audio device (it reports that it's charging them).

There are somehow 2 or 3 different news modes - and I cannot figure out how to
get to the one I want. The Google assistant frequently enables accidentally
and records me talking. The phone regularly harasses me and asks me to give
reviews and answer questions for them. Many of the news suggestions it gives
me are tweets and Reddit threads; I don't tweet or use Reddit. There are a
bunch of apps which can't be uninstalled that I don't use or have any need
for. No matter how often I turn off the wifi, it decides it wants to turn it
back on.

This is probably my last Google phone. Garbage.

~~~
marliechiller
interesting. I have a pixel 3 and have experienced literally none of your
issues and am really enjoying its lack of 3rd party software unlike my old
samsung galaxy. In fact, this device has spurred me to fully embrace the
google ecosystem

~~~
jmcnulty
Ditto. I've the Pixel 3 XL, my first pixel phone and I love it. Fast, good
battery, gorgeous display and monthly updates with none of the Samsung
bloatware forcibly installed. I used to be an iPhone user years ago (owned 4
of them) and I'd never go back. In fact my wife has an XS and I wouldn't swap
mine for hers.

------
_Codemonkeyism
This remembers me of my Blackberry Passport, loved the format, loved the keys,
loved the 1:1 screen but I couldn't make calls or be called. One brand new is
lying around here somewhere.

~~~
throwaway9d0291
Minor correction: In English, we have two different words around remembering:

\- "remember": This is when you think of a memory all by yourself, like "I
remember when I was a child" or "I remember that I have to buy some milk"

\- "remind": This is when something else makes you think of a memory, like
"this lullaby reminds me of when I was a child" or "my phone reminded me that
I have to buy milk"

In this case you want "remind".

(Thought I'd let you know because I know in some languages, these are one
word)

~~~
_Codemonkeyism
Thanks you're right. And I rather think this is a major mistake, not a minor
one.

After reading the comment before posting I would probably have used 'reminds'
but when I just write down my thoughts they often come out the wrong way and
then I forget to read the comment again before posting (which I always should
do!) :-)

So thanks!

------
ToFab123
<rendering the phone useless for it's primary function (calling people).

Calling people is no longer the primary function of a °phone".

~~~
go_prodev
That was Apple's argument in their case against Qualcomm's licensing costs.

I always thought that was a weak stance.

An iPhone without calls is just an iPod touch, which clearly doesn't have the
appeal of an iPhone.

~~~
bfred_it
I call about 2 hours a week and still manage to use my phone more than 20
hours a week. Is calling still the primary function of my "phone"?

We just call it phone because that's what we attached a computer to, but it's
more like a pocket computer with LTE modem for most people. I'd call it Pocket
PC if I could!

~~~
toast0
Microsoft's trademark on Pocket PC is most likely dead, as it hasn't been seen
in commerce in a long time, so you can probably call whatever you like a
Pocket PC

------
tracker1
I've had issues regarding Bluetooth and my car since Android Oreo was
released... I switched to the P beta and about the last two weeks before the P
release, no issues... P released, issues returned.

Issue was present on Nexus 6P, Pixel 1 XL, Pixel 2 XL ... my next phone may
just be an iThingy at this rate, after using Android since the original G1 was
released. I can't help but feel that Google's software QC and testing is just
much more limited than it should be.

------
Theodores
Google Pixel 3 has serious customer service quality issues.

The problem here isn't the call quality, it is the customer service. This is
typical Google. They might have many boffins working for them but they do not
put the customer first and they don't appreciate the benefits of a customer
first attitude. For a product that costs $$$ they should do it right, if they
promptly dealt with customer service problems with real staff instead of
outsourced 'ninjas' then they could turn customers with problems into their
greatest brand ambassadors. In so doing they could convert a small army of
people who prefer Apple but have ended up giving Android a spin into brand
converts, spreading by word of mouth 'how much better Google is' and
converting die-hard Apple fans into Google fans. But Google just don't get it.
It is also cheaper to do customer service correctly than it is to have people
left out there exasperated with the service they get.

Right now my sister is having trouble with their landline phone. They are
cussing their broadband provider and blaming them. They have a retro 1980's
phone that has 'always worked' but, after a house move and with a small child
around, with unknown wiring in the new house it has to be the broadband
provider that are to blame. Chances are that there is something wrong with the
phone or the cabling inside their house. They are not willing to try a
different handset (one with neat features like caller ID and no cord), they
want to persist with the retro phone because it looks good, like the ones they
grey up with. Sweet. They too have gone online and decided that the broadband
provider are useless and that their services are off the mark. Yet there are
many people with the same provider who have phones that work remarkably well,
but, they have decided otherwise. Again, as per the Google problem here, there
is a perceptual issue due to the poor quality of customer service.

Getting back to the Pixel 3, I had a phone with some stupid wallet style phone
case that made it so I couldn't be heard on the phone. I was able to work out
that it was the case and not the phone (or an app) but I too was grumbling
about the quality of the phone before I realised that the problem was quite
simple and had everything to do with the case and not the phone.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Pixel 3 problems were due to obvious but not so
obvious problems in the majority of the cases and not some fundamental quality
problem with the device. However, Google don't pick up the phone and talk to
customers, they leave them to gang together on forums and make all their
problems Google's fault, which it is. When will Google learn that in hardware
the customer comes first and that customer service has to be done properly? It
is such a shame as Google do put the customer first with their search and
other software services, plus their design principles do a good job of
embodying that.

~~~
glennpratt
You can get chat and phone support with Pixel and with Google Fi;not clear if
you and other commenters know that.

------
glennpratt
My wife had call quality issues. Google Fi deactivated her phone and we
reactivated. It seems better with a few test calls, but we'll find out with
weekday use.

------
abhaysk
It seems like there is a software bug - likely related to noise canceling Mic
in the phone app.

~~~
kkarakk
it has similar issues with audio quality during video recording. i think they
implemented some fancy noise cancelling/voice boosting in a chip thinking
people would love it and now they can't fix it.

------
nickthemagicman
Alot of Pixel anger here. I have a 3 and love it. That is all.

------
bob_theslob646
Is their a lemon law for smartphones?

------
pm90
WTF google. If the flagship phone is so bad, how the hell do they expect to
compete effectively with Apple?

------
steveharman
People use smartphones to make telephone calls? How does that work?

~~~
umichguy
Apparently, they do. How quaint.

~~~
zapzupnz
You may mock, but making good old fashioned phone calls is still the standard
is business.

Do you really think every businessperson from every business on the planet is
adding each other to each others' Skype lists or Facebook friends?

~~~
chrisseaton
> Do you really think every businessperson from every business on the planet
> is adding each other to each others' Skype lists or Facebook friends?

No I think they email each other.

~~~
zapzupnz
> No I think they email each other.

You never thought that some information needs to be received or conveyed in
real time for efficiency?

I only check my email once an hour, maybe every couple of hours. If people
need to get a hold of me instantly, they call… like normal people.

Even if I did check my mails more frequently, there's no guarantee that (A)
I'm going to bother reading/responding to _every_ mail I receive, nor that (B)
I will reply immediately.

Does everybody here really live in such a techno-bubble that they fail to see
how the real world works?

~~~
hrktb
> If people need to get a hold of me instantly, they call… like normal people.

Just as any communication mean phone calls are abused to no end. 95% of the
calls I receive are spam, the rest are from VIP registered numbers (family,
school etc.).

It’s anecdotal but I see more and more people just filtering all non VIP calls
and checking every now and then voice mail or messages.

I’m not sure people heavily relying on phone are still “normal” people.

~~~
zapzupnz
> Phone calls are abused to no end

So are emails, but we don't say people have stopped using emails for certain
types of communication.

> [...] I see more and more people just filtering all non VIP calls and
> checking every now and then voice mail or messages. I'm not sure people
> heavily relying on phone are still "normal" people.

Then I really think you need to look outside your usual circles, especially if
there's a lot of technologically-inclined involved, because I'm not sure
"normal" people even know what VIP numbers are, let alone know to filter them,
nor that filtering is even possible.

