Are these "problems" I've been experiencing just the phone's normal design?

[FreakyLocz14]

I've been experiencing 2 main issues I believed were defects. I did an exchange, and the replacement has the same issues.

1) I can hear and audible rattle coming from the top of the device when I set my phone down on desks or other hard surfaces. I has been told it is normal and I'm hearing moving parts in the camera.

2) When I'm in a dark room and my phone's brightness is set to very low, the display has a staticy flickering. This only seems to happen when it is connected to the charger and at maximum charge, which is odd.

Is it worth exchanging again?

 

[Topweasel]

Re: Are these "problems" I've been experiencing just the phone's normal design?

Can't speak for the flicker. Haven't seen it myself though considering the charge speed I wouldn't be surprised if it caused some interference. But the rattle is normal, or at least some rattle. It's the shutter moving around slightly. This can be done to varying degrees on every phone.

 

[KillerQ]

Re: Are these "problems" I've been experiencing just the phone's normal design?

Can't speak for the flicker. Haven't seen it myself though considering the charge speed I wouldn't be surprised if it caused some interference. But the rattle is normal, or at least some rattle. It's the shutter moving around slightly. This can be done to varying degrees on every phone.

Rattle may be 'normal' as far as frequency goes, but it's definitely not supposed to happen.

I've never had a phone rattle since 2003

 

[Topweasel]

Rattle may be 'normal' as far as frequency goes, but it's definitely not supposed to happen.

I've never had a phone rattle since 2003

Sorry it does. Might not be as noticeable. But for example I never heard it on my Nexus 6. But after reading about it I checked, my Nexus 6 does though it's very very quite. My Lumia 920 does it. Surprised I hadn't heard that one before. Even my RAZR Maxx does it. Point and clicks are really bad about it. It's the shutter it's in inherent in its design so it can be quickly moved open and closed insanely quick. It doesn't have a really parking spot that would have friction that would slow it down giving it some play. I am guessing the thin aluminum and thin plastic glass area allow it to echo a bit more and make the rattle louder.

 

[cbreze]

Re: Are these "problems" I've been experiencing just the phone's normal design?

I've heard the camera rattle is "normal" and while it may be then why don't they all rattle if normal to do so. FWIW, I've never had a rattle like what you're describing in a phone ever.

 

[Topweasel]

Re: Are these "problems" I've been experiencing just the phone's normal design?

They do all rattle. It's just harder to hear on some. On my Nexus 6 I have to put my ear right up next to it to hear it. My guess is phones with faster shutter speeds will need a looser mechanism and will rattle more apparently.

 

[iOS Gravity]

Re: Are these "problems" I've been experiencing just the phone's normal design?

Rattle may be 'normal' as far as frequency goes, but it's definitely not supposed to happen.

I've never had a phone rattle since 2003

I didn't think my phone did that, but if you shake it near your head you should hear it, its subtle.

 

[anthonium]

Re: Are these "problems" I've been experiencing just the phone's normal design?

I've never heard of this before. I'm shaking and trying to hear this on my current htc one m7 and nothing! I've heard other pixel owners talk about this rattle. Perhaps an issue in the design....

 

[ratsttam]

Sorry it does. Might not be as noticeable. But for example I never heard it on my Nexus 6. But after reading about it I checked, my Nexus 6 does though it's very very quite. My Lumia 920 does it. Surprised I hadn't heard that one before. Even my RAZR Maxx does it. Point and clicks are really bad about it. It's the shutter it's in inherent in its design so it can be quickly moved open and closed insanely quick. It doesn't have a really parking spot that would have friction that would slow it down giving it some play. I am guessing the thin aluminum and thin plastic glass area allow it to echo a bit more and make the rattle louder.

It's not the shutter (as these phone cameras don't actually have one). What you're hearing is the lenses moving around in the Optical Image Stabilization system. If you open the camera, the rattling will stop, but you might hear a very faint buzzing instead. The reason a lot of phones don't make the rattling noise, is because they have fixed lenses.

 

[Topweasel]

It's not the shutter (as these phone cameras don't actually have one). What you're hearing is the lenses moving around in the Optical Image Stabilization system. If you open the camera, the rattling will stop, but you might hear a very faint buzzing instead. The reason a lot of phones don't make the rattling noise, is because they have fixed lenses.

Hmm. That makes sense. Could have sworn I read it was the shutter system. I apologize to anyone I accidently misled. Still point still stands but that explains the people with other model phones that don't have a slight rattle.

 

[millerman61]

It's not the shutter (as these phone cameras don't actually have one). What you're hearing is the lenses moving around in the Optical Image Stabilization system. If you open the camera, the rattling will stop, but you might hear a very faint buzzing instead. The reason a lot of phones don't make the rattling noise, is because they have fixed lenses.

The XDA review of this phone says it does not have OIS.

 

[ratsttam]

The XDA review of this phone says it does not have OIS.

And... that changes things... I remembered reading the Pixel would have Stabilization, but they went with EIS (which uses no moving parts)...
So, the rattling on the phones with OIS is the OIS system, I am at a loss for what could be causing it in the Pixel, unless there is a physical switch that has some play to it, like the power or volume buttons that may be hitting against the body of the phone??

 

[FreakyLocz14]

Re: Are these "problems" I've been experiencing just the phone's normal design?

I'm not too concerned with the rattle, since I'm hearing it's normal and mine is just more noticeable than others. I'm more concerned about the display flickering now.

 

[Bev Z]

Re: Are these "problems" I've been experiencing just the phone's normal design?

Rattle may be 'normal' as far as frequency goes, but it's definitely not supposed to happen.

I've never had a phone rattle since 2003

I have to agree. The "rattle" shouldn't be an ongoing issue that you have to hear as it should adjust once and that's it once it's sitting?

 

[Topweasel]

And... that changes things... I remembered reading the Pixel would have Stabilization, but they went with EIS (which uses no moving parts)...
So, the rattling on the phones with OIS is the OIS system, I am at a loss for what could be causing it in the Pixel, unless there is a physical switch that has some play to it, like the power or volume buttons that may be hitting against the body of the phone??

It could be that the camera itself has ois but they choose to disable it in favor of their eis? I mean check the reviews of the stabilization against the S7. The Pixel puts it to shame.

 

[FreakyLocz14]

Has anyone been had the flickering problem? I notice it at night when I'm in a dark room and have the brightness turned down low, and even then only when the phone is connected to the charger and has a full charge.

 

[DJM626]

Has anyone been had the flickering problem? I notice it at night when I'm in a dark room and have the brightness turned down low, and even then only when the phone is connected to the charger and has a full charge.

I don't have the flickering issue. XL? I did read about that on some forums but most of the people that had it said it was an "XL" thing. They did go on to saying that some of them reported it to google or opened a ticket on it, and they said it might be something that can be fixed in a software update.

They didn't elaborate on when or anything though. I know one person had said he had his phone replaced 3 or 4 times and all of them did it

 

[FreakyLocz14]

I don't have the flickering issue. XL? I did read about that on some forums but most of the people that had it said it was an "XL" thing. They did go on to saying that some of them reported it to google or opened a ticket on it, and they said it might be something that can be fixed in a software update.

They didn't elaborate on when or anything though. I know one person had said he had his phone replaced 3 or 4 times and all of them did it

I have the XL, yes. The fact that it only occurs under certain specific circumstances (only when connected to the charger and even then only when the phone has a full charge) makes it being a software issue believable.

I can live with the camera rattle if it's normal and not a sign of damage or defect. I'll get used to it.

 

[FreakyLocz14]

I played with various other phones, both Pixel and Pixel XL, and all of them had a rattle near the camera to some degree (some more noticeable than others). I also noticed it tended to be more noticeable on XLs than on regular Pixels.

 

[WClark57]

Re: Are these "problems" I've been experiencing just the phone's normal design?

If there is a rattle and you cannot hear it, is it really there?

Nothing I do causes a rattle anywhere with the phone.