Google’s latest handset, the Pixel, is perhaps the finest iPhone 7 rival available, but it’s not without its share of problems.
Following previous reports of a lens flare issue, a new problem has been reported with the Pixel’s camera.
Specifically, Google product forums user Mike Fox has reported that his Pixel XL‘s camera has started to freeze sporadically when he tries to use it.
Related: Pixel review
Interestingly, or frustratingly for Mike, the freezing is preceded by “pink/purple vertical lines” which appear across the screen when using the camera viewfinder.
What’s more, Mike reports: “It also ends up with large blocks moved randomly around the screen.”
It seems the new camera woes are limited to Google’s proprietary camera app, as Mike downloaded and installed a third-party alternative which seems to have fixed the issue – indicating that the problem might not be tied to hardware.
The forum thread also contains reports from other users who say they’ve experienced the camera issue, with one in particular claiming the problem gets worse in low data quality areas or when photos and videos are “pending synchronisation to Google Photos”.
Google is yet to provide a full response or a fix, so at this point, if you’ve experienced any problems it might be worth trying a different camera app.
Related: CES 2017
The latest Pixel camera woes follow a previous issue with the phone’s camera whereby users would see a halo or “arc flare” effect when using the viewfinder.
Google released a software update to fix the issue, which removed the flare from images, but users would have to switch to HDR+ mode for it to work.
We’ll update you once Google issues a response to the new reports of camera trouble, so stay tuned for the latest.
WATCH: Google Pixel and Pixel XL Review
Let us know if you’ve experienced any camera issues on your Pixel in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
