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Crooked Pixel 3a port alignment is next on the teething problems list

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By Daniel Petrov

Published: May 22, 2019, 6:10 AM

Crooked Pixel 3a port alignment is next on the teething problems list

A new phone from a company that is still fledgling in hardware like Google is bound to have some teething problems, and the Pixel 3a or 3a XL aren't immune from those. Many units are already in their owners' hands, and the first issues started getting out.

There were random shutdowns reported a few days, and hot on the heels of those some owners are now noticing some shoddy assembly practices that have the bottom openings for the speaker and/or charging port misaligned.

Does anyone else have a crooked bottom on their #Pixel3a? My cutouts aren't aligned. pic.twitter.com/Keyic6WnE4
— Erica Griffin (@iAm_erica) 21 май 2019 г.

Needless to say, this is not on the level of the phones shutting down but if you are the pedantic type, the slight tilt upwards may bother you once you know about it. Google received one of the top scores for repairability of the Pixel 3a/XL in recent memory, though, and not only because of the polycarbonate housing.

The modular nature of the internal component's placement makes extremely easy taking out each particular part and replacing it with a new one, so apart from being a durable phone you don't have to always baby like the glass sandwich designs, the Pixel 3a/XL phones allow for fast and inexpensive repairs. Swapping the display of the smaller one will run you just $119, for instance.

That's not to say that this modular construction shouldn't be sturdy and the cutouts aligned well, but give Google and the HTC engineering team that is behind those new Pixels some benefit of the QA doubt.

At least until it is confirmed by more owners that the misalignment is actually widespread and/or it interferes with the ease of plugging the charge cable. Everything on our particular unit is fine in that respect, for instance. Have you experienced the shutdowns or do you have misaligned ports on your own Pixel 3a?

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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena from 2010 to 2025, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.