Pixel 7 and Pixel 8 series owners are having to deal with several network issues and it all seems to have started when the monthly update for March 2024 was installed. The update was pushed out by Google during the first week of last month to exterminate previous bugs and to make the compatible Pixel models more stable. The complaints range from the non-receipt of messages and dropped calls to other problems that will sound familiar to Pixel users.
For example, on Reddit, one affected Pixel user said that he has been turning on and off Airplane mode every two hours to help his handset stay connected to his wireless provider. This was a trick that many Pixel 6 series users (including this writer) had to use because of Google’s decision to pack its Pixels with Samsung’s Exynos modem chips instead of what many consider to be the superior Qualcomm Snapdragon modem chips used by flagship phones made by Apple and Samsung. The Pixel 7 and Pixel 8 models both use the Exynos 5300 5G modem chip.
The Samsung Exynos 5300 modem chip is used on the Pixel 7 and Pixel 8 lines
Another Redditor with the username ShadoutMapes87 wrote that he and his wife both use a Pixel 7 Pro on the Verizon network and their calls have been going straight to voicemail. Their messages also don’t arrive in a timely manner and as he explains, “All the sudden I will receive a notification for four voicemails all indicating that my phone didn’t ring, and text responses for 10+ individuals/groups from a previous two to three hours period in which I received no texts. This has happened consistently for the past 7-10 days.”
What is even more interesting is that he says he hears by word of mouth that other Verizon customers he knows with iPhones and Galaxy models are not having these issues.
The recently released April 2024 update did not fix these problems which are not minor ones. Pixel users will probably have to wait to see if the May update brings relief. On the other hand, considering the severity of losing network connectivity, perhaps Google will send out a mid-cycle update.