What you need to know
- Google Pixel 7 and 7 Pro owners are seeing broken glass cameras on the back.
- Some device users have seen the glass shattering during a sudden temperature drop.
- Google Support Team has responded to one of the users, acknowledging the issue.
One of this year’s most well-received flagship releases is the Google Pixel 7 series, which builds upon the already great Pixel 6 smartphones. That said, the Pixel 7 series isn’t without its issues, as we know by this point that no phone is flawless. That is because several users on Reddit and Twitter have reported about their rear camera-protecting glass getting shattered out of nowhere, along with the #pixel7brokencamera hashtag.
One user (via PhoneArena) claims to always put his phone in the case and that no drops have occurred in the month that he has owned the device, he believes there is a manufacturing defect.
Not even a month, no drops just regular use. Have a case on the phone. Been told Its my problem. Is this really the quality control backed by google? It’s clearly a manufacturing defect, and I know I’m not the only one. Please fix this google! @madebygoogle #pixel7brokencamera pic.twitter.com/pH6k7HxSuxDecember 26, 2022
Likewise, two months ago, another Reddit user shared that he had a similar experience with his Pixel 7, which had a broken camera glass when he removed it from his pocket. However, he is unsure if hitting around a corner while the device is in his pocket could be the reason for the blow.
Another Pixel user who replied to the aforementioned Reddit user faced a similar issue. He even contacted third-party repairing services like UBreakiFix, and one of them suggested it would cost around $200 to replace the whole back panel. However, early this month, Google finally agreed to replace the device after the said user provided the images of the broken glass.
I would strongly avoid the Pixel 7 series from @madebygoogle. There is a manufacturing defect and poor QA that leads to shattered camera lenses. Google is aware of the issue and has intentionally decided not to include it with warranty #pixel7brokencamera https://t.co/kWhCoVlJeh pic.twitter.com/GvcYREScwADecember 22, 2022
One of the Pixel 7 Pro has seen the shattered glass behind the ultra-wide angle lens on the device. This random shattering of rear camera glass is not limited to the Pixel 7 but also to the Pixel 7 Pro, as some other Twitter users pointed out the issue (via Android Police). The owner who contacted Google Support got a response from the team indicating that they were aware of the issue.
One Pixel 7 user had noticed the same broken glass case when there was a sudden temperature change. In the tweet, the user mentions that the device experienced an external temperature drop from 16 degrees Celsius to -2 degrees Celsius, and the glass was shattered.
The temperature changes could be one of the reasons why several such glass-shattering incidents are popping up in December than in the previous months since the devices launched.
With many users reporting the issues on multiple platforms, and for some, Google acknowledging the issue and for others replacing the Pixel 7 devices, the company is yet to go public about the concern.
Update: Google has said they are aware of the issue but is standing firm that it is not their responsibility. I was hopeful, but ultimately the end result did not change. pic.twitter.com/EBUlH18fSEDecember 23, 2022
Of course, it’s not the first time Google has dealt with hardware or software problems. However, it seemed that the change to a mostly metal camera visor would have helped avoid problems such as this. That said, if the issue becomes more widespread, the company may be forced to address the issue.