Google faces lawsuit accusing it of selling defective Pixel phones

Despite being a great phone that we loved, the Google Pixel hasn’t been without its issues, as evidenced by our article on common problems that owners might face. However, the launch of the original Pixel phones mostly went off without a hitch, and the phone was a global hit. However, Google is now facing legal troubles, thanks to a class action lawsuit filed against the search giant, after claims that the original Pixel was shipped and sold despite a known flaw with the microphone.

According to American business magazine Fast Company, the lawsuit is rooted in flaws with the microphone that the suit claims were present from the date of sale, and that Google knew the phones were defective before they were shipped. Google admitted that the fault existed in March 2017, but hasn’t mentioned anything about the flaw being present at the date of sale, and has stuck to honoring standard warranty claims.

According to Fast Company’s article, and citing a Google employee on support forums, the fault can be traced back to a hairline crack on the solder connection on the audio codec. This sort of issue is especially frustrating to consumers, since different temperatures and orientation of the phone can lead to the problem becoming intermittent, working some times and shorting out in others. Fast Company considers this the reason why many Pixel owners did not report the fault until after the phone fell out of warranty.

The company pursuing the lawsuit, Girard Gibbs LLC, is already involved in a similar lawsuit against Google involving the Pixel 2 range. The Pixel 2, despite being an otherwise fine phone, was beset by screen issues in its XL variant, with many users reporting significant burn-in on their screen. Google’s response to the issue was fast, with the giant attempting to downplay the impact of the burn and extending the warranty to two years, but it’s clear from the consumer response that users don’t feel that was enough. Google may be wanting to sort out this issue as fast as possible, too, as Girard Gibbs LLC recently achieved a settlement in the long-running LG “bootloop” lawsuit, so it’s clear that mobile giant-slaying is a part of Girard Gibbs LLC’s significant legal repertoire.