A new Google Pixel XL phone is displayed at the Google pop-up shop in the SoHo neighborhood on October 20, 2016 in New York City. (Photo : Getty Images/Spencer Platt)
Owners of the Google Pixel and Pixel smartphones are flocking to the company's forum to complain about the random freezes that they are experiencing. They claim that the premium devices become unusable for a few seconds up to several minutes.
Several posts on the Google forum describe the freezing issue as unconnected to any particular software or application, contrary to what what was previously believed. Users with the family locator "Life360," whose phones stopped responding, eliminated the problem by uninstalling the app. However, there are also several users who have not installed the program but were encountering the same issue.
Users also shared that once the device freezes, only the back button remains lit. The other two navigation buttons do not show up. A screenshot of the freezing issue was posted by Android Police.
Device owners have also tried to restart their phones by holding down the power button for several seconds until the phone dies down, and then power it back again. This is one way of making the phone respond, but only briefly for some owners since the issue apparently starts again, sometimes up to three to four times in a day.
The company's support team seems to be aware of the problem since they are directly answering many queries by providing a support link that contains steps in rebooting and updating the device. However, no concrete solution has been provided so far. There are also speculations that this could be hardware-related, while others are hoping that an update will arrive soon to fix the issue permanently.
The Google Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones, launched on Oct. 4, are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor. They house 4 GB of system memory, and there is an option of either 32 GB or 128 GB internal storage. They come with a 12.3 MP rear camera as well as an 8 MP front-facing camera.
Many other internal components are the same for both models. The only difference is the screen size, the former offers a 5.0-inch AMOLED display with 1080 x 1920 pixel resolution, while the latter has a 5.5-inch AMOLED screen with 1440 x 2560 pixel resolution.
Not all Google Pixel and Pixel XL owners are affected by the issue, as one user said in the video below:
