Pixel 7 is one of the best-rated Android phones on the market, and it also has what is claimed to be the best camera system of any smartphone. But it turns out the Pixel 7 may have a serious manufacturing issue. The glass covering the Pixel 7's rear camera may have spontaneously broken, according to multiple posts on social media complaining about the issue.
Google is aware of the issue, but it's unclear what causes it or what official remedies may be. Some users were offered free phone replacements, while others were told the repair would require replacing the entire back panel. This may cost $200 to $400.
In October, Google released the Pixel 7 series, so most issues with these phones will still be under warranty. However, the cracked glass issue may not qualify for free repairs until Google admits it's an issue beyond the user's control. Some users said that Google quoted them more than $400 to repair broken camera glass.
Users who shared their stories online were unable to explain why the glass shattered. Some people said they didn't drop their phones, and most said Google's support wasn't very helpful initially. However, Google did reply to affected users, at least on Twitter promising to look into the matter.
Another person on Reddit described that the fix involves replacing the entire backplate, which will cost $200, and parts aren't even available yet. The same user eventually found better guidance from the Pixel support team and scheduled a free phone replacement.
One possibility for random camera glass cracks could be sudden changes in temperature, which could explain why multiple Pixel 7 users reported the same issue in December when temperatures started to drop. But this is just speculation as Google has not provided an official explanation yet.
If it is a manufacturing defect, replacing the broken Pixel 7 with a new device may not fix the problem. New equipment may suffer from similar conditions because it comes from the same production line.
Whatever the reason for the cracked Pixel 7 camera glass, it's certainly an annoying problem, especially during the holidays when people take more photos than usual. It's unclear how many Pixel 7 devices are affected, or why the Pixel 7 Pro doesn't suffer from the same issue.
