Several users are reporting that their Google Pixel 3 devices have started bricking out of nowhere on popular forums. The issue seems to be getting more widespread, and there seem to be no warning signs either, which makes it harder to identify or prevent.
Many Pixel 3 devices started bricking a few months ago (via GSMArena), but it’s only now beginning to come to light and become a much bigger issue than initially thought. The worst of all is that Google hasn’t yet commented on the problem, and there is no known working solution today. The devices are also out of warranty, so there is no way to return them, although hardware repairs are likely still available.
Users are reporting on Reddit and other social channels on how their devices got bricked overnight and that they’re unable to turn them back on or do anything with them. They’ve all become expensive paperweights overnight, and there are no solutions yet. Most of the devices enter Qualcomm Emergency Download Mode (EDL), which will prevent the users from installing a custom ROM, making getting to the bootloader impossible. The issue may lie with a potential security patch, or it may be with the Snapdragon chips’ framework, although this is only speculation at this time, and more digging is required to get to the end of it.
Some users believe it’s a hardware malfunction, while others say security updates are to blame. We know that the issue seems very similar to LG Nexus devices which were notorious for boot looping, and the company even received a number of lawsuits back in the day. Google hasn’t made an official statement yet on the issue, although there are reports on the Google forums which seem to attract more Pixel users. If you’re a Pixel 3 user and your device is still working fine, it’s best not to update until we hear back from Google directly, and we’d also strongly encourage you to back up all of your important files to prevent any data loss.
Google Pixel 4a
It's the cheapest Google Pixel device that comes with a flagship camera, and a long lasting battery life.