Google’s latest handsets are now experiencing another problem. Scores of Pixel 6 users took to Reddit and Google Help forums (via Android Police) to report connectivity and signal issues. The problem has affected users in the US, Canada, Australia, and Scotland.
Some have encountered weak signals, while others have complained about losing access to signals completely. Google is yet to comment on the issue and in the meanwhile, a few workarounds have been discovered.
This might be an Android 12 problem, as apparently, owners of some older Pixel phones are also experiencing the network strength issue after upgrading to the new operating system. For some, Adaptive Connectivity, the feature that tries to prolong battery life by automatically switching between 5G and 4G depending on the app in use, is the culprit and the problem goes away when it is disabled. Updating Carrier Services resolved the issue for quite a few users.
Some Pixel 6 owners say that they must reboot their device for it to work again, and a few say that doing a factory reset and getting a new SIM did it for them. One user says that they returned their Pixel 6 Pro, but their replacement device is only marginally better.
A few people chalked the problem up to the Samsung-made 5123b modem that’s inside of the Pixel 6. An analysis had previously shown that Qualcomm’s comparable modem has an edge over the Exynos modem.
With so many theories flying around, it’s hard to ascertain whether this is a hardware issue or is software-related, but either way, it’s not a good look for a phone which arrived with its fair share of problems including a flickering display, ghost dialing, problematic fingerprint reader, and charging issues.
