This Pixel series was so bad, some owners will never buy a Google phone again
This Pixel series was so buggy although some updates from Google helped to improve it.
This Pixel series turned some users off the Pixel brand | Image by PhoneArena
With the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro losing support from Google in October, those who purchased one of these two models and have yet to upgrade, will probably be looking to buy a new phone over the next few months. Interestingly, on social media there are comments from several Pixel 6 series owners who were so upset with their experience with the phone that they say that they won't buy another Pixel handset again.
Several Pixel 6 users say that they will not buy another Pixel phone ever
One Reddit subscriber, with the username "PresentSpecific5666," and his wife, had received a free pair of Pixel 6 phones as part of a promotion related to the Sprint to T-Mobile transition. Even though the phones were free, he said that they were hardly worth the price and ran off a familiar litany of well-known issues with the Pixel 6 line starting with the poor under-display optical fingerprint sensor. He claimed that updates didn't improve things, and when the batteries swelled on both phones, he exchanged the units for replacements.
I'm done making excuses for Google. They had no business shipping a phone this flawed. The fingerprint sensor alone should have been caught in testing. And now they're locking down Android like they want to be Apple, which is laughable given they can't even get their own hardware right. The camera was good when it worked but even that would freeze and glitch with later updates. I wouldn't pay a dollar for another Google phone. The Android I loved is gone and they killed it themselves. Wish we had some more Linux phones or another alternative right about now.
I know the excuses... "it was their first Tensor chip," "later models fixed everything." But I still see people in the forums dealing with issues on newer Pixels. I'm not surprised. Every brand has bugs, sure. But from the company that actually develops Android? This was an eye opening experience.
I know the excuses... "it was their first Tensor chip," "later models fixed everything." But I still see people in the forums dealing with issues on newer Pixels. I'm not surprised. Every brand has bugs, sure. But from the company that actually develops Android? This was an eye opening experience.
Reddit subscrber PresentSpecific5666
Render of my next phone, the Pixel 11 Pro XL. | Image by Android Headlines
The replacement units had issues as well as the phones suffered from overheating, and deteriorating batteries. He claimed that one single raindrop that hit the charging port of his wife's phone killed the digitizer, thus killing her phone. As for the husband's phone, he says that the radio started crapping out earlier this year and the other day a pebble hit the tempered glass screen protector leaving the display resting in peace.
Pixel 6 Pro owner says the model seriously hurt the Pixel brand
So, will this Pixel owner be in the market for a new Pixel? He says that he is done making excuses for Google and adds, "I wouldn't pay a dollar for another Google phone."
A Reddit subscriber, "UltraPharaoh" said that "The Pixel 6 Pro was one of the worst phones I've ever bought." He pointed out that the device seriously hurt the Google brand. He will never buy nor recommend another Pixel phone.
Google has made many changes to its Pixel handsets since releasing the first Tensor-powered model in 2021
Google has made many changes to the Pixel line since the first Tensor series released in 2021. The optical fingerprint scanner used with the Pixel 6 line was replaced with a more accurate and faster ultrasonic fingerprint scanner with the Pixel 9 in 2024. Google also improved the modem that was a constant source of issues for Pixel 6 series users. In fact, there is speculation that the Pixel 11 Pro line will favor the MediaTek M90 modem.
Despite the changes made, and those rumored to be made, some Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro users will probably not return to the brand. Of course, most Pixel 6 series users upgraded a few years ago, and I'm sure that many went on to another phone brand.
Pixel 6 series users were given two extra years of support from Google
But Google extended the update window for the Pixel 6 series allowing users to keep the phone through the Android 17 update instead of losing support after Android 15 was released. Now, more than ever, Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro users could be looking for a new phone. The big question is whether the things they like about Pixel phones outweigh the issues they had with the Pixel 6 line.
As a Pixel 6 Pro owner, I ended up experiencing many of the same problems. The lost connectivity, the too-short battery life, slow and inaccurate fingerprint scanning, and more. I ended up retiring the Pixel 6 Pro and returned to my iPhone 11 Pro Max, which I eventually upgraded to the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Over time, I realized that I really did enjoy using my Pixel more and the swap to Gemini as my AI assistant from Google Assistant endeared the Pixel 6 Pro to me even more. Soon, I was using the Pixel 6 Pro more often than my iPhone.
Google is the backporting king
In my opinion, Google is always looking to update its apps and UI in order to make it faster and easier for users to get the answers and information they need. Whether it's the directions to a particular destination from Google Maps, using Gemini to convert Euros into Dollars, or messaging someone who wants to hire you for a job, Google is always looking to reduce the time it takes for you to get your answers.
Google is also the backporting king, meaning that a new feature on the latest Pixel phone that makes you green with jealousy just might be added to your older Pixel model. And Google's desire to make the Pixel proactive rather than reactive also draws me to the line.
As a result, I'm going to be upgrading to the Pixel 11 Pro XL this year. Not all of my fellow Pixel 6 series owners agree with this, and the majority might be prepared to never buy a Pixel phone again. But if I can be more satisfied with my Pixel 6 Pro with its faults than my iPhone 15 Pro Max, I can't wait to get my hands on the Pixel 11 Pro XL later this summer.
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