Google has confirmed there is a visible bump issue on some Pixel 8 smartphones, but claims it doesn’t affect performance or damage the screen.
Some users have revealed they’ve noticed small bumps on the display if viewing the device in certain light, or at a certain angle. They appear at the top of the phone, and on either side of the front facing camera.
Users shared photos highlighting the bumps, however it appears those affected remains low. Owners speculated the cause was components pushing against the screen, and had concerns it would inflict damage to the display over time.
Google has confirmed the bumps are components under the screen in a statement, but claimed the issue won’t affect durability.
“Pixel 8 phones have a new display. When the screen is turned off, not in use and in specific lighting conditions, some users may see impressions from components in the device that look like small bumps. There is no functional impact to Pixel 8 performance or durability.”
Repair and microelectronics experts agree with the company and say the issue won’t affect usage.
“It’s because of the manufacturing process at the OLED factory. When the glass is pressed onto the display, they are pressing in a mould which is imprinting on the OLED.”
“I agree with Google that it will not effect the usage of the phone, but it can be annoying. We’ve seen this before in the iPhone XS when the screw holding in the camera module would imprint on the OLED panel, very obviously, in the exact same spot for every user.”
It remains to be seen if the bumps will cause issue in the future, and if they do, it will be a priority test of Google’s new hardware parts policy.
The company promised to provide parts and software updates for seven years for the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro. In comparison, Apple’s policy states five and six years of support. This also comes alongside semi-regular “feature drop” updates.
Google’s policy could prove to be Apple’s competitors, with iFixit confirming the Pixel 8 has no parts pairing, which is where individual components are locked to that said device, and can’t be easily swapped. This is common for Apple products.
Repair experts have also found if some parts are replaced, features may be lost. If an iPhone 15 battery is replaced, and the new part isn’t calibrated using Apple’s proprietary software, the battery health and cycle count features are lost. The software is only available to Apple certified repair shops.
