An unfortunate problem has come to light with the newest smartphone from Google, the Pixel 5. It seems there is a quality control issue affecting a significant number of devices relating to a gap between the display and the body of the phone. The response from Google’s Community Specialist was that this is normal.
The very first Google Pixel was a revolutionary smartphone. Even though relatively few were sold when compared to Apple’s iPhone or Samsung’s Galaxy phones, it changed the smartphone industry forever. The camera hardware was fairly standard, but the computational algorithms that Google used, brought quality that surpassed every other smartphone of the time. Years later the original Google Pixel still snaps photos that rival smartphones made in 2020.
The Pixel 5 is the newest and arguably best smartphone Google sells. However, many owners of the device have described a gap between the screen glass and the body of the phone. A Google Support forum post about the issue from user James Bennett has had over 500 posts and shows that this is not a rare occurrence. More than 50 owners of the Pixel 5 have posted photos that illustrate the problem. Google’s Community Specialist, David Pop, claims an investigation was done and along with quality control data, it has been confirmed that the gap is “a normal part of the design”, adding that there is no effect on water resistance. Bennett also shared a Google email which indicated that “the replacement device will have the same design.”
Will Google Replace & How Common Is This?
A few comments indicate that Google has replaced some units that demonstrate the issue, but it isn’t known if this will be the case for all that request a new Pixel 5. Pop noted that customer concerns will be handled on a case by case basis. A somewhat alarming post by Pixel 5 owner, Johannes Rei, stated that after checking a reseller at which Rei worked, three more units were opened and all had the same issue. Quite a few commented that the gap appeared near the front-facing camera, indicating the issue may be related to that particular bit of hardware.
Based on the response so far, it seems this will not be considered an issue covered as a defect, so warranty claims may not be accepted. Owners should contact Google or the retailer their device was purchased from for an answer about their particular phone. Regarding returns, many retailers have return policies. If the purchase was from Google’s Store, the return period is 15 days from the date the device was received, not the purchase date, so this allows plenty of time to return a device if dissatisfied.
