Ryan Haines / Android Authority
TL;DR
- A Reddit user reported that the camera bar on their Pixel 9 Pro was separating from the back glass despite no apparent damage.
- Since the phone was under warranty, a Google Store replaced the unit.
- This appears to be a one-off defective unit, but you should still check your unit for any noticeable gaps between the camera bar and the back panel.
The Google Pixel 9 series is an excellent flagship lineup from the company. It does most things well enough to be recommended as a top Android flagship. The phones feature an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance and are also fairly durable. But a Redditor had a strange experience with their Pixel 9 Pro’s camera bar, raising questions about its durability.
Redditor lakhip noticed the camera lens of their Pixel 9 Pro fogging up when the phone was on the sink in their shower (h/t Android Police). When the user took the case off the phone, they noticed that one side of the phone’s camera bar was not attached to the phone at all. They claim that that side of the camera bar lifted up with a gentle pull.
The Redditor eventually took the phone to Google’s store in NYC and managed to get a replacement (albeit they are waiting on their launch promos to be restored as the broken phone was marked as “returned” and a new one was “sold”).
Other Redditors have pointed out that the camera bar is secured differently across the Pixel 9 series. Here are the corresponding images from iFixit’s store for the Pixel 9 series:
The Pixel 9’s smaller camera bar appears to be held in place by two screws on the top and bottom. The Pixel 9 Pro has three screws holding it down, while the Pixel 9 Pro XL goes back to two screws that are placed wide.
From the back cover images, there aren’t any apparent faults visible to me, especially since the affected user had the Pixel 9 Pro, which looks to have the most secure camera bar attachment of the three phones. I also tried to wiggle the camera on my Pixel 9 Pro XL (I advise against doing this), but it is solidly attached, despite having the two screws placed wide. So it does look like the Redditor chanced upon a defective unit rather than the lineup having any structural issues (so far).
Nonetheless, we’ve contacted Google for comments on this issue and to learn more about how the camera bar is secured to the back plate on the Pixel 9 series. We’ll update this article if and when we hear back from them.
If you do see a gap between your Pixel 9’s back glass and camera bar, we recommend not exposing the phone to water in any form, as its IP68 rating is compromised. You should reach out to Google customer support for further resolution.
Is the camera bar on your Pixel 9 series securely attached to the back glass? Do you have a gap? Let us know in the comments below!
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