It turns out that Google’s new flagship phones - the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro - are shaping out to be one controversial bunch. Even though we were genuinely impressed with both models (you can check out the Pixel 6 review and the Pixel 6 Pro review for more details), various issues have popped up since the official launch, plaguing what many deem to be the best Android series to date.
Today’s issue concerns the under-display fingerprint reader. Some Pixel 6 users reported a strange problem - the fingerprint icon would disappear on their phones when the always-on display is active. This issue seems to resolve when the display is activated again but it’s frustrating, to say the least.
Now it turns out that the root of the problem lies in the advanced setting of Android. A Reddit thread titled“PSA: AOD fingerprint icon broken by "Animation duration scale" sheds light on the subject. If you mess with the animation scale options under “Developer options” in the system menu, you can “break” the fingerprint animation.
The “Animation duration scale” setting is the specific culprit and setting it back to its default position (x1) resolves the problem. This issue doesn’t affect users that haven’t activated the Developer options menu in Android 12, so it’s not a bug per se. Messing with settings under that menu can lead to instabilities and your phone not working as intended, so do it at your own risk.
Google Pixel 6 issues so far
The first reports started piling up right after the Pixel 6 series began shipping to end-users. Users reported screen flickering, one complained of two punch-holes instead of one. There’s no official information from Google about the issue but Reddit users have their own theories. Apparently, the screen flashes when the power button is pressed but for more than 0.5 seconds.
Image source - u/HairyPorter23
“From what I've been seeing with my own device, a short/rapid click of the power button when the device is off does not produce this glitchy effect. However, a 0.5-1 second press does produce the glitchy effect.Oh btw, don't get me wrong, I'm absolutely loving the phone so far and by no means does this affect the use of the phone when it's turned on, it's just kind of frustrating to see a defect like this on a brand new device :/ And most likely, if I didn't see this post, I most likely would never have noticed this issue given how infrequently I turn off my phone,” a Reddit user by the name of Mr_Shay_Shay writes.
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There’s also the theory of static discharge affecting the screen, and at the moment it’s not clear whether a software update will fix the issue.
Another troublesome news came from Andrei Frumusanu from AnandTech. He did some tests with the display of the Pixel 6 Pro set at minimum brightness only to find out that it consumes a lot of power.
"Pixel 6 Pro power behavior, same LFD ambient brightness crap as on the S21 Ultra, however with just utterly absurd power figures. 60Hz also uses more power than 120Hz in brighter environments - it's a big fail. If you're using the phone in dark environments, skip it,” reads his Twitter post.
According to Andrei, this issue can't be fixed with a software update, and even though it's not affecting the phone's functionality, such power management behavior could result in shorter battery life on the Pixel 6 Pro. The vanilla Pixel 6 doesn't have the issue.
Mariyan, a tech enthusiast with a background in Nuclear Physics and Journalism, brings a unique perspective to PhoneArena. His childhood curiosity for gadgets evolved into a professional passion for technology, leading him to the role of Editor-in-Chief at PCWorld Bulgaria before joining PhoneArena. Mariyan's interests range from mainstream Android and iPhone debates to fringe technologies like graphene batteries and nanotechnology. Off-duty, he enjoys playing his electric guitar, practicing Japanese, and revisiting his love for video games and Haruki Murakami's works.
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