Now on their 3rd replacement Pixel 7 Pro, many think huge screen issue can't be fixed
Google's Pixel phones are a darling of Android purists and smartphone camera enthusiasts but they don't exactly offer a stable experience and are more prone to bugs than other top Android phones. Many issues are solved by Google. For others, owners come up with solutions of their own, such as using their nose to get the fingerprint scanner to work. It looks like a few of the problems are unfixable, such as the screen flickering issue.
The Pixel 7 series was released around mid-October and within less than two months, complaints started cropping up about Pixel 7 Pro's display on Google's support forum and Reddit. Most of the complaints said that the screen was flickering and had unsightly green tints and in some cases, even vertical columns of white or yellow light.
The screen of my google pixel 7 pro has started to flicker all of sudden... it's not getting fixed by any troubleshooting procedures. Have tried everything possible." User 12617565851069155425
Its flickering and almost looks like there is screen burn in (even though there isn't. Also noticed that the screen by the power button has pixels coming on green." David Bateman 3581
Whenever there is a problem with a new handset, there are usually two ways to deal with it. One of them is to assume that the issue only affects a small percentage of devices and get your unit replaced or get the faulty part repaired. In this case, Google gave this option to several Pixel 7 Pro owners, but the problems were also present on the new devices and screens.
I've had the same green flash issues with 2 separate P7P. Google is not being helpful about it." Brandon
The fact that's it's happening again to replacement devices and to devices with replaced screens is a major issue that Google needs to address. I've heard on multiple occasions from people who've replaced their screens only to have it happen again." cquerrieo22
The other - and the more common - approach is to wait for a software update. The March update was supposed to address the Pixel 7 Pro green flickering and display artifacts issue but it looks like it did not solve the issues for a lot of people.
My current pixel was up to date as of April 5, 2023. This is not a software issue. It is either completely faulty screens that Google is not admitting to, or the design of the phone inherently destroys the screen over time." CHill
This seems to indicate that this is primarily a hardware issue and the screen itself is not necessarily faulty. One theory being floated around is that the Pixel 7 Pro is not good at heat management and it originated after many people revealed that the issues usually appear after prolonged use.
In some cases the display first flickers green and then turns black but does go back to being normal after a while.
Exact same problem, same for the only person I know who also has the Pixel 7 Pro. We are both on our third phones now since October!! Flickering, green on the left, columns of light. This time I got the screen replaced at ubreakifix which said they're seeing a lot of issues with the pixel 7 pro screens." Claire B 1954
One user said that electronic repair service provider UBreakIFix said told them that this issue arises when the phone overheats.
I have the sams problem with my 7 Pro, and my first option was to send the phone for a screen replacement with UBreakIFix, which I called today to hear that this is not a software issue, but a hardware problem with the screen which is failing when the phone is getting hot. Also, replacing the screen won't guarantee that the problem won't come back after a while, also they said that if I replaced the screen I will lose the waterproofing, because after replacing the screen the phone is not sealed anymore." ScutuMix
...It is probably a similar hardware issue to mine (and many other Pro users). I already sent in two devices for repair and always got a new one as a response, seems cheaper than to fix it apparently. If (or rather when) it happens to me again, I'm gonna ask for my money back. This must be a really common hardware issue (that Google definitely knows about) since many users online claim to be on their third phone as well …" Reddit user schaumkuss
While it's good to know that Google hasn't really abandoned its users and is offering to give them replacement devices, even if they are giving refurbished phones in exchange for brand new devices, this is no way to go. The Pixel 7 Pro starts at $899 and if people are spending this much on a phone, the least they deserve is a phone that works properly when needed, which is every minute of the waking hour in the modern world.
Also, users can only get a replacement so long as their devices fall within the warranty period. This isn't very confidence-inducing and Google should at least acknowledge the issue or compensate users in some other way. Otherwise, brand loyalty will continue to go down.
That said, it could be that the problem affects an insignificant number of (vocal) users and Google thinks it's best to deal with them privately.
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