Why Google's all-new Pixel 3a phones are shutting down randomly
What's the story
If you know anything about Pixel 3 series, you must have heard that these phones have been marred by some annoying bugs in the past. And, now the younger members of the family, Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL, have also started showing signs of being buggy. They were launched just recently but are shutting down randomly. Here are the details.
Issue
Random shutdowns reported on social networks
Multiple Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL users have reported on Reddit and Google support that their new devices are shutting down at random, Android Police reported. The phones work normally until an unexpected shutdown occurs, rendering the device completely unusable. The screen, as the reports revealed, doesn't turn on, which ultimately forces the user to hard reset the phone.
Persistence
Reset restarts the device but the problem remains
Resetting the device helps with making it reusable but that doesn't solve the problem, according to the complaints. Basically, another random shutdown could occur after the reset, forcing the user to repeat the same cycle again - which is obviously annoying. Redditors haven't even figured out a work-around and Google has also not commented on the matter.
Cause
Exact cause also remains unclear
While several users have reported the same issue, nobody has been able to figure out why this is happening. One of the affected parties tried booting the device in safe mode to check if any third party app might be responsible for the shutdown. However, the problem occurred even when the device was started in safe mode with no third-party apps installed.
Fix
No word on official fix
Users facing the issue have started returning their devices in hopes of getting a new, glitch-free unit. However, as Google has not acknowledged the issue, there is no word on when a fix for the problem might roll out. The company has had a tough time with Pixel series and would want to fix the issue before it grows big and mars its image.
Design and Display
Meanwhile, here's recalling the two devices
As far as their specifications are concerned, both the phones sport a notch-less rectangular display with prominent bezels, plastic chassis, and headphone jack. On the back, they feature a single camera, and fingerprint sensor. The Pixel 3a gets a 5.6-inch gOLED display with 1080x2220 pixels resolution while the Pixel 3a XL offers a larger 6-inch screen with 1080x2160 pixels resolution.
Cameras
For the shutterbugs and selfie lovers
Both Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL sport a 12.2MP (f/1.8) rear camera with dual-pixel phase detection, OIS, and EIS. Up front, they have an 8MP (f/2.0) selfie snapper. The main camera offers 4K recording at 30fps while the front camera supports 1080p videos at 30fps. Both phones also offer Night Sight low-light photography feature, HDR+, Portrait Mode, Super Res Zoom, and Top Shot.