Reports say that no external force has been applied
When the Pixel 7 series came out, it became apparent that Google refined its flagship formula, leaving no major hardware flaws, unlike older Pixels. This is the reason the Google Pixel 7 Pro is universally appreciated and even won our Readers’ Choice Phone of the Year award, while also headlining our selection of the top Android phones. However, it appears that some users have discovered a design flaw on the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro that leaves their phones with shattered rear camera glass even without any external force.
A bunch of users took to Twitter and Reddit to report that the glass covering the rear cameras on the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro cracked unexpectedly — in many cases, cavities have appeared over one of the camera lenses (via PhoneArena). There are dozens of complaints across social media that suggest a broader problem. Affected users are voicing their concern with the hashtag #pixel7brokencamera on Twitter.
Most users claimed that their Pixel 7 neither bumped into something nor was dropped before the crack appeared, while others blamed a sudden change in temperature from hot to cold for the camera cover glass to crack. This could very well be a possibility considering the cracks and holes have appeared in a similar pattern in nearly all user complaints we’ve come across, pointing to a potential manufacturing defect. With temperatures falling much lower in December than in preceding months, it’s clear why these reports would appear only now.
However, Google hasn’t currently publicly accepted this as its own fault but assured one of the buyers that it’s aware of the issue. While some users got lucky with Google support and got a replacement for their Pixel 7 with broken camera glass, most were asked to pay upwards of $400 to replace the entire back panel. In certain cases, people were made to run in circles, with Google pointing them to carriers for making insurance claims — only to be sent back to Google support.
If Google finds out that these mounting reports of similar cases are indeed due to the phone’s fragility, affected users could get their phones fixed under warranty without spending a dime or relying on third-party DIY repair kits. Considering something similar already happened with last year’s Pixel 6 series as well, Google shouldn’t wait too long to investigate these incidents and provide a reasonable solution. This becomes even more important considering the cracked glass leaves sensitive camera hardware exposed to elements and even compromises the phone’s water resistance.
