Why You Can Trust CNET Pixel 3 owners still complain of problems as Pixel 3A rumors swirl
Owners gripe about software performance issues as Google is rumored to be expanding the line with a more budget-friendly model.
The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3XL are still drawing complaints from owners six months after their launch.
Advertiser Disclosure
Editors' Note, May 7, 2019: CNET's Google Pixel 3A and Pixel 3A XL reviews are here. Read more about both phones and why Google decided to release these budget handsets.
As rumors circulate of a Pixel 3 successor, some owners of Google's current handset are still complaining of software performance issues -- six months after its launch.
The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are regarded as two of the best phones you can buy. They take exceptional photos (especially in low light), have unique software features from Google like Call Screen and are equipped with top-tier hardware.
But Google says it's sold fewer Pixel phones year-over-year due to fierce smartphone competition on the high-end, leading to rumors the company is looking to build out the Pixel portfolio with a more affordable model. Google hints that "something big" will happen to the Pixel universe on May 7, and two names that have been floated so far are the Pixel 3a and the Pixel 3 Lite.
While Google is rumored to be tinkering with a new model, owners still have gripes that haven't been resolved since the handsets' launch in October. The biggest issue Pixel 3 owners have with the handset relates to its camera, as detailed by 9to5Google. The Pixel 3 takes sharp photos, but owners say the camera's app is hobbled by speed and general unreliability. One Reddit user complains of a lag time of 12 seconds to fully launch the app.
Recent updates have tried to address this issue but haven't completely resolved the situation, 9to5Google noted.
Memory management has also been a complaint of users since the Pixel 3's launch. Users complain of apps abruptly shutting down, restarting or being slow due to insufficient memory. Some users complain that an April update did nothing to fix the issue.
"Not sure what the hell is going on, but my phone is regressing again," one Reddit user wrote. "Why can't google get RAM management right?"
Another issue that appears to affect all generations of Pixel is Bluetooth performance. Users complain that the wireless connection lacks in reliability and poor volume compared with other devices.
Users are also complaining about the speaker phone not working properly at the beginning of a call and fast wireless charging not functioning properly.
Google representatives didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
