Ron Amadeo
Does the Pixel camera have a hardware problem? Android Police has tracked numerous reports of broken cameras on Pixel 2 and Pixel 3, and Pixel’s unique Google Camera app has been bombarded with tons of comments from 1 star users saying their cameras no longer work. Google told the site that it is not aware of any software problems, suggesting that all of these people are experiencing a hardware failure.
Problems range from the camera app crashing instantly when opened, displaying a black screen or an error message that says “Something went wrong. Close and open the camera app again”. Complaints about exactly what is causing the problems are everywhere, but it seems difficult to blame a software bug, as both the Google camera and third-party applications are affected, and uninstalling updates and factory resets does not fix the problem. .
The main complaint topic in the Pixel help forums is almost 900 responses now. The older device, Pixel 2, appears to be the most affected, but reports for Pixel 3, 3a and 4 are out there. All Pixel cameras, from Pixel 2 to Pixel 5, have the same camera sensor (a Sony IMX363 / IMX362), so it is possible that everyone is affected.
Android Police contacted Google, saying that “the company offered hardware failures as a potential explanation – due to wear and tear over time, or abuse, such as physical damage or falls.” The website continues, “The company invites affected people to contact Google customer support to explore their options.”
Previously, many of Google’s Nexus phones had hardware problems due to defective flash memory. These phones would eventually stop working, which led to a series of class action lawsuits. Most Nexus phones were manufactured by LG, with the Nexus 6P being Huawei’s only device. The Pixel 2 was built with the help of LG, while the Pixel 2 XL was made with HTC. After Pixel 2, Google bought the team it was working with from HTC and started manufacturing devices at Foxconn.