The Google Pixel 6A went up for pre-orders last week, and the phone has already landed in the reviewer’s hands and pockets. While the Pixel 6A still hasn’t officially launched, it’s already been criticized by reviewers for arriving with major problems. One of those issues is with the fingerprint sensor, which appears to have similar problems to the Pixel 6 series, letting everyone freely unlock the device.

If you’ve been a Google Pixel fan, you might not be surprised that the latest Pixel smartphone comes with new problems. After all, Pixel smartphones are notorious for having a lot of issues, and Google isn’t exactly known for having reasonable quality control.

The latest problem that’s affecting the Google Pixel 6A is related to the fingerprint sensor. YouTube creator, Beebom, showed that its team members could unlock the device using different fingertips. Geekranjit could also unlock the Pixel 6A, using both thumbprints, even though only one was registered. These issues are worrying, making the device an easy target for thieves until at least it’s officially addressed by Google.

While we await for Google to acknowledge and address the problem officially, we strongly encourage everyone to use a password or a long PIN to unlock the Pixel 6A. The issue sounds like a software problem, not a hardware-related one, and we expect Google to roll out an update in the coming weeks.

Google keeps messing up its phones

Source: Pocketnow

Every smartphone that Google released in the past had software or hardware-related problems. These all started long before Google decided to shift into the premium smartphone market with the Pixel lineup. The issues first appeared on the Google Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P devices, known for getting stuck in bootloops.

The first and second series of Google Pixel phones had problems with Wi-Fi connectivity, the USB-C port not functioning correctly, and other software-related issues, some of which were fixed and some of which stayed.

The Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL faced lawsuits for having battery drain issues and the phone unexpectedly shutting down. There were also reports of the phone’s camera app shaking and vibrating, resulting in poor-quality images and recording footage. The Pixel 3a series surprisingly had only a few minor software issues, and it was the first device in the series to not face any widespread and major issues.

The Google Pixel 4 series had a battery expanding issue, and the face recognition hardware failed to work after some time on some units. The former appears to have been a hardware issue, and users were forced to return their devices. Unfortunately, many ended up being declined for one reason or another. Personally speaking, I’ve never had a problem with the face unlock technology, but only a handful of banking apps supported it, making it inconvenient to use on a daily basis.

Source: Pocketnow

The Google Pixel 5 was a surprisingly great device, and it didn’t have any major issues, unlike its predecessors. There were some reports of display gaps, and battery drain problems, but it was overall one of the best – in terms of quality – devices that Google has ever released. All of this, however, went downhill when the Pixel 6 series were announced, which faced several different issues with the display panel, connectivity problems, and most notably, issues with the fingerprint scanner.

We can only hope that the only issue the Pixel 6A will be facing is the fingerprint recognition software, which can be fixed quickly. If Google wants to take on the iPhone, it must cut down on these software and hardware-related problems that have been scrutinizing its smartphone business for several years.

As a Google Pixel fan and user, I’ve owned the original Pixel XL, the Pixel 2 XL, and the Pixel 4 XL. It’s disappointing that a company of the size of Google is having such difficulties with both software and hardware. This makes recommending the latest Google Pixel 6 series challenging, since the fingerprint sensor is still very slow, and there are widespread reports of Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity problems.

What problems did you have with your current or previous Pixel smartphones? How many devices did you return to get one that worked perfectly? Let us know in the comments!