Develop Bugs

[Q] Defective Microphone- Have had Nitro Since Launch, Now I am Not So Sure

Alright, this is very disconcerting, my faith in LG may be gone.
PREFACE:
I have had this phone since launch and have been on this forum since the day it was started. I have rooted, debloated, and changed launchers. I have no dislike for LG, so please do not call me a hater or a fanboy.
PROBLEM:
Starting a couple of days ago, during calls the person on the other end would only hear static and clicking. I finished the conversation through text. I called somebody else the next day and it worked fine. Today, I was talking to someone for about ten minutes then the static happened and I had to finish the conversation in text. Since the person I was talking to is a close family member I troubleshooted and kept calling them, and then a phone of one of one of my roommate's so that I could hear the problem first-hand. It sounds HORRIBLE. Since then I have used a voice recording app to test the problem.
TROUBLESHOOTING:
I have done the following to determine that this is indeed a hardware problem:
-Turned off all data
-Unlocked ALL "debloated" apps
-Restarted many times
-Put only the original battery in(I have two spare official batteries)
And the problem persists.
QUESTIONS:
-What should I expect will happen with the return/exchange process?
-My original battery has the pink water damage thing turned pink. This phone has never touched water, I think it happened because I have kept the battery in my wallet, which probably has gotten sweat on it. Will LG try to be a **** about this?
-Should I unroot and otherwise restore this phone to stock? If so, how do I do this?
-Is there anything else I should know?
-I need a phone to use, if I cut my SIM card to fit into my old iPhone 4, how will I get it back in?
Thank you, and if there is a possibility I could just return it I may. I LOVE this phone, but I have never had a microphone defect in any other phone I have ever owned. I am starting to wonder how such a large company like LG can allow something like this to happen, rightly so, I am very unsure of the longetivity and overall "completeness" of this phone.

The only other quick and easy thing I would suggest to narrow down the issue would be to try a wired or bluetooth headset.
It's pretty easy to find micro SIM adapters for sale online for 1 or 2 dollars.

I feel like I have some comforting responses to many of your concerns.
First of all, you should have a 1 year manufacturer's warranty against hardware defects. You should be covered.
They will most likely look for the water damage indicator on the battery, but if they are all official batteries then the store clerk won't know the difference. If it says LG on it then you're probably fine.
I saw an "unroot" option in SuperOneClick, but I cannot verify that it's functional for the Nitro. Yesterday was my first root ever. I would find a way to unroot it to be honest. Then do a hard reset and take it in.
As for the SIM going back to the iphone 4, it can be done. I just pulled my SIM and snapped a couple of pics to show you how to cut it and still use it. I didn't cut it myself, it was done by an ebay seller that reactivated my Unlimited Data plan and mailed me the card. He thought I had an iphone 4 so he cut it. I then told him I didn't have the iphone 4 so he set it back in and sent the whole card. It's worked in several phones since then.
I say if you love the Nitro then don't worry. AT&T should honor the manufacturer's 1 year warranty. I've never dealt with it so I don't know how they'll handle it, but they should take care of you.

Just a heads up, the battery is supposed to have pink + signs on it. When those bleed and the sticker is just an ugly mess of pink blotches, that's when it touched water. Not sure what yours looks like but I figured there may be a chance you are seeing the pink + signs and thinking you are screwed.

gte460z said:
Just a heads up, the battery is supposed to have pink + signs on it. When those bleed and the sticker is just an ugly mess of pink blotches, that's when it touched water. Not sure what yours looks like but I figured there may be a chance you are seeing the pink + signs and thinking you are screwed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you, what I was seeing was indeed the little pink crosses.
@gmkelly - thanks for the tip, I tried it out and my wired mic does work.
After unplugging the mic, I set it aside and when I checked again, the nitro's mic was working. I made a call and halfway through the issue started up again. Since then, I have replicated the issue multiple times using the recording app. The mic will work, and then usually stops working again after a few minutes of it being on, usually about 3.5 minutes. Thus the problem is intermittent, and I can replicate the problem for an AT&T rep.
What I really need to know is what to do about it being rooted.
EDIT: Dammit, I am having trouble replicating the problem now. Is there a chance that something in the headphone port is causing this. Ahh, I have a program to write for a C++ class and this is not a good time for this to be happening. Been recording now for 10 minutes and the mic is still working fine.
EDIT 2: Does anyone think showing a recording of the static to an AT&T rep be enough evidence? If anyone wants to hear some static you can get an earful here.

red_solo_cup said:
Alright, this is very disconcerting, my faith in LG may be gone.
PREFACE:
I have had this phone since launch and have been on this forum since the day it was started. I have rooted, debloated, and changed launchers. I have no dislike for LG, so please do not call me a hater or a fanboy.
PROBLEM:
Starting a couple of days ago, during calls the person on the other end would only hear static and clicking. I finished the conversation through text. I called somebody else the next day and it worked fine. Today, I was talking to someone for about ten minutes then the static happened and I had to finish the conversation in text. Since the person I was talking to is a close family member I troubleshooted and kept calling them, and then a phone of one of one of my roommate's so that I could hear the problem first-hand. It sounds HORRIBLE. Since then I have used a voice recording app to test the problem.
TROUBLESHOOTING:
I have done the following to determine that this is indeed a hardware problem:
-Turned off all data
-Unlocked ALL "debloated" apps
-Restarted many times
-Put only the original battery in(I have two spare official batteries)
And the problem persists.
QUESTIONS:
-What should I expect will happen with the return/exchange process?
-My original battery has the pink water damage thing turned pink. This phone has never touched water, I think it happened because I have kept the battery in my wallet, which probably has gotten sweat on it. Will LG try to be a **** about this?
-Should I unroot and otherwise restore this phone to stock? If so, how do I do this?
-Is there anything else I should know?
-I need a phone to use, if I cut my SIM card to fit into my old iPhone 4, how will I get it back in?
Thank you, and if there is a possibility I could just return it I may. I LOVE this phone, but I have never had a microphone defect in any other phone I have ever owned. I am starting to wonder how such a large company like LG can allow something like this to happen, rightly so, I am very unsure of the longetivity and overall "completeness" of this phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
gte460z said:
Just a heads up, the battery is supposed to have pink + signs on it. When those bleed and the sticker is just an ugly mess of pink blotches, that's when it touched water. Not sure what yours looks like but I figured there may be a chance you are seeing the pink + signs and thinking you are screwed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh btw, I recalled something an AT&T rep asked me when I was sending back the Atrix for an RMA. He didn't ask me to check the battery for water damage by looking at the pink crosses, he asked me to look for a white dot on the phone itself. The same white dot is on this phone. U can see it right above the middle screw to the right of the SD embossed sign. That white dot will change color (I forgot what color he said, maybe pink too) if the phone is water damaged.
I think nowadays the battery moisture indicator does not really apply anymore. At my job, we have tons of BB batteries that has indicators showing moisture damage but works perfectly fine. It's most likely just because the batteries get warm n moisture can build up by it.

Ok I'm sort of confused. Is this only happening with something plugged into the 3.5mm headphone jack, or are you referring to the actual built in mic on the bottom of the phone?

red_solo_cup;21559845
EDIT 2: Does anyone think showing a recording of the static to an AT&T rep be enough evidence? If anyone wants to hear some static you can get an earful [URL="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/16882142/AUD0001.3gp" said:
here[/URL].
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OUCH!! I forgot to turned down the speakers n i got a bad shock!
anywho, do u have an at&t authorized repair/warranty center by where u live/work? I say bring your phone n recording over to them n show it to them, let them hear it n explain this happens sporadically. If u want, tell them u can call their phone there n let it sit for 10 minutes or so until it happens again. But just make sure it can be recreated in their presence though. Otherwise u should just call 611 (or is it 511...411?? ) talk with them n wait till it happens over the phone lol!

Ha, just figured out the "multi-quote" system.
AllstarE4 said:
Ok I'm sort of confused. Is this only happening with something plugged into the 3.5mm headphone jack, or are you referring to the actual built in mic on the bottom of the phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The mic in question is the Nitro's built in microphone.
aquariuz23 said:
OUCH!! I forgot to turned down the speakers n i got a bad shock!
anywho, do u have an at&t authorized repair/warranty center by where u live/work? I say bring your phone n recording over to them n show it to them, let them hear it n explain this happens sporadically. If u want, tell them u can call their phone there n let it sit for 10 minutes or so until it happens again. But just make sure it can be recreated in their presence though. Otherwise u should just call 611 (or is it 511...411?? ) talk with them n wait till it happens over the phone lol!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, the Chicago Warranty center is a couple blocks from my work. It looks like I may be able to get "same-day, face-to-face warranty and technical support." This certainly is good news. And thanks for the info about the water damage indicator, white gold!
I guess my main concerns now are backing up and unrooting.
-I guess I will have to purchase titanium backup and go that route. Anything special I should know about backing up?
-As far as unrooting goes, I think I can recall seeing some post about it on this forum, I will have to go hunting. Are there any known successful methods?
EDIT: according to this thread, [email protected] says he has unrooted it. Thanks again for the help guys, I am starting to think this won't be such a PITA afterall.

Easiest way to unroot is to download superoneclick 2.3.3 and click the unroot button with usb debugging enabled on the phone. I have done it several times without fail.

Which method did you use to root it? I know in the SuperOneClick program there is an "Unroot" button.

use malninion's unbricking solution to unroot your phone and restore it to factory if you are concerned about a root getting in the way of an exchange and are unable to deroot. also, all exchanges of this phone under warranty are for refurbished units, LG policy.

Refurbs are fine if they still hold the 1 year warranty. Do you know the details?

if you are asking me, do I know the details of what?

scott0 said:
if you are asking me, do I know the details of what?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, yes. Do you know the details of factory warranty on a refurbished phone?

AllstarE4 said:
Sorry, yes. Do you know the details of factory warranty on a refurbished phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The LG rep and the ATT rep I spoke with yesterday said the refurbs are better and they carry full warranty. I *thought* I heard the LG rep say our phone has a 6 month warranty, new or refurbed but it very well could be 1 year. Both reps said all refurbished phones are tested v. 10% of new phones are tested. Not sure how that makes a refurb better but that's all the details I was given re: the exchange policy.
Also, I went through the troubleshooting of mine on the phone with ATT, that agent issued a return authorization that I could have used locally by just bringing the phone in and getting a replacement. I got the impression that there would be no on-site attempt to fix my phone, just a visual inspection of the glass, case and water damage marks.
I was able to fix my phone so I didn't have to go through with it all.

Maybe it's 6 months on a new one. I think I heard 1 year, but I guess I'm not positive on that.

It does not matter which method you used to root your phone (doomlord or superoneclick), superoneclick can unroot the phone fine without restoring the phone via Mal's guide. I use doomlord to root and superoneclick to unroot on my phone.

red_solo_cup said:
Ha, just figured out the "multi-quote" system.
The mic in question is the Nitro's built in microphone.
Thanks, the Chicago Warranty center is a couple blocks from my work. It looks like I may be able to get "same-day, face-to-face warranty and technical support." This certainly is good news. And thanks for the info about the water damage indicator, white gold!
I guess my main concerns now are backing up and unrooting.
-I guess I will have to purchase titanium backup and go that route. Anything special I should know about backing up?
-As far as unrooting goes, I think I can recall seeing some post about it on this forum, I will have to go hunting. Are there any known successful methods?
EDIT: according to this thread, [email protected] says he has unrooted it. Thanks again for the help guys, I am starting to think this won't be such a PITA afterall.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or, you can simply remove the super user icon from the app drawer and they won't even know the phone was ever rooted (unless they go into applications and search for it, which I HIGHLY doubt they will even bother). About backing up, how many apps do you have on your phone? Does it really matter if u have to reinstall them again? If it does, then get TiBu free edition n manually accept every reinstallation process.
As for contacts, sync them all to your gmail acc, n your emails should already be synced anyways. For sms/mms, get go sms pro (free) and it has the feature to backup your sms/mms to the phone which u can then back up to your computer.
Don't bother with restoring to factory settings, just hand the phone to them, removing any icons of apps that might indicate you are rooted.

gte460z said:
It does not matter which method you used to root your phone (doomlord or superoneclick), superoneclick can unroot the phone fine without restoring the phone via Mal's guide. I use doomlord to root and superoneclick to unroot on my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
but a reflash = more fun times!

Updated to Lollipop. Mic-1 not working.

Hi
I'm running an international unlocked M8. just got it from the service repair center for a battery-related repair. Immediately upgraded it to OTA Lollipop. The microphone isn't working. Google Now & Phone calls just pick up static. Speaker phone works fine. Tried cleaning the grill to no avail. Tried factory reset. Nothing.
Do you think this is related to Lollipop? Can I count on an update to follow to solve this? Because I would really hate to send it back to the service center.
Thanks :fingers-crossed:

I would recommend you to try install the previous version you got and if the problem still exists then sorry mate but you have to send it back.
I know it sucks! :/

I guess there's no way to avoid it. Phone's going back not even one day after I got it back I was hoping it was a widespread software issue that would get a speedy patch but seems like it's not. Thanks for the reply.

nuvnuc said:
I guess there's no way to avoid it. Phone's going back not even one day after I got it back I was hoping it was a widespread software issue that would get a speedy patch but seems like it's not. Thanks for the reply.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd not only send it back, but I would also let them know that you are angry about it. They obviously sent you something that was sent in to them and refurbished. Tell them you want a NEW phone.

xunholyx said:
I'd not only send it back, but I would also let them know that you are angry about it. They obviously sent you something that was sent in to them and refurbished. Tell them you want a NEW phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And yes they did send me the same phone I sent to be repaired. It even has the decal I put on the back. And you can see a small indentation from where they opened it up, and the screen is veeeeeery slightly wobbly when I touch it in a corner.
They told me they don't do replacements unless it is wholly beyond repair. Usually the carrier does that but I got this off contract. Though I have heard informally after the third repair they will just send a new one.
I really admire you for your strength . And I would love for this to be a tale of righteous customer overcoming the evil customer support. In my experience the person behind the desk just doesn't care and will only take it out on you if you disrespect him. Whereas being cordial seems to garner astonishment "wow he actually treats me like I am human". I've tried being angry and I've tried being kind.
Thank you very much for your reply.

Speaker(ear) buzzing all of a sudden?

I got my 5x about a few weeks ago, and it's been perfect so far - until a couple of days ago. The earpiece speaker buzzes something awful when I'm talking to people. Any sound coming from that speaker makes this buzzing noise - almost like a blown speaker would. Oddly, I can't hear the buzz if I hold the phone up to my left ear.
I Googled around and haven't found anything about this which is odd because it's hard to believe it's just me. So, I'm checking in here to find out if anyone else has experienced this or heard of this problem.
Thanks!

I had this issue with my first 5X, a few weeks after launch. RMA'd it and haven't had the issue since.

powerdoesntrun said:
I had this issue with my first 5X, a few weeks after launch. RMA'd it and haven't had the issue since.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How long were you without a phone? Man, I'm stuck if that's the situation, because this is my business phone

burgertime78 said:
How long were you without a phone? Man, I'm stuck if that's the situation, because this is my business phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you bought it from Google, they send out advance replacements before you send back the defective one, so you never need to go without a phone.

powerdoesntrun said:
if you bought it from google, they send out advance replacements before you send back the defective one, so you never need to go without a phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nice!!!!! Score!!!!!!

And no sooner than 1 week did my new, replacement 5x do the same thing. What a huge disappointment this phone has been. So, now I have to get a 3rd phone, and do the RMA process. I explained to the guy on the phone that I don't have any confidence in this phone now, and that I don't want to be stuck down the road with a phone that has this problem. He said the warranty runs one year from the ORIGINAL phone purchase. That doesn't help me very much unless the 3rd time really IS the charm, and this phone will not have this problem. I'm really hoping, and my fingers are crossed. I asked to just be refunded so I could get an entirely different phone, but he told me no.
I'll be back to update this.

Speaker buzzing
Got the same issue - has anyone tried to install a different ROM?

Nxus5 said:
Got the same issue - has anyone tried to install a different ROM?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I just got phone #3. We will see how it turns out. I can't imagine installing a ROM would fix this. Plus, my phones were fine for a week, then this problem started.

burgertime78 said:
Well I just got phone #3. We will see how it turns out. I can't imagine installing a ROM would fix this. Plus, my phones were fine for a week, then this problem started.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is not a software issue, it's a hardware defect. Keep sending it back until you get a good one. I had to RMA four of these things for hardware defects. QC of Nexus devices has always sucked, and until this changes, I fully expect to go through this with every purchase.

I had this issue and this going to sound weird but put your mouth on the speaker and blow in and suck out. It's weird but it worked for me. Of course RMA is the best choice

bdivs11 said:
I had this issue and this going to sound weird but put your mouth on the speaker and blow in and suck out. It's weird but it worked for me. Of course RMA is the best choice
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's just crazy to me. I ditched my ATT Galaxy S4 (for multiple reasons), and I promised myself I would get an actual Google phone next time around. So, I did, and I always thought LG made wonderful electronics, but it seems not to be the case. Disappointed, but hopefully the 3rd time is the charm.

I bought one and I changed it myself. Spare part was different, made in plastic instead of metal. No issues till now

gpvecchi said:
I bought one and I changed it myself. Spare part was different, made in plastic instead of metal. No issues till now
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bought what?

burgertime78 said:
Bought what?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Aren't we talking of buzzing earspeaker?

gpvecchi said:
Aren't we talking of buzzing earspeaker?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, you bought a new speaker. I was confused. Well, my third phone is doing the same thing, and oddly, blowing and then sucking from the speaker area fixes it temporarily.
I requested a refund from Google. I'm not interested in paying $350 for a phone that I have to blow into the speaker to make it perform properly - that just sounds silly.

Rattling Vibration?

Is anybody else experiencing a loud, rattling sound from the vibrator? It sounds like the motor is loose or something. Not sure if I should RMA or not.
Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

Cheater912 said:
Is anybody else experiencing a loud, rattling sound from the vibrator? It sounds like the motor is loose or something. Not sure if I should RMA or not.
Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I saw another person had posted a nightmare story about this issue yes. Support gave him the run around by having him take it to a certified cell phone repair spot and they said the same thing as him that something wasn't right with it. That it was an obvious hardware failure. Then support through google if I remember correctly, gave him more slack about the issue... I don't have this issue thank god but I've seen people with the issue on here yes.
Found the post.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/pixel-xl/how-to/pitiful-google-support-experience-t3500246

thewebsiteisdown said:
I saw another person had posted a nightmare story about this issue yes. Support gave him the run around by having him take it to a certified cell phone repair spot and they said the same thing as him that something wasn't right with it. That it was an obvious hardware failure. Then support through google if I remember correctly, gave him more slack about the issue... I don't have this issue thank god but I've seen people with the issue on here yes.
Found the post.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/pixel-xl/how-to/pitiful-google-support-experience-t3500246
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you think I can get it replaced at Best Buy? I bought it there last night. I would imagine they have to?
Thanks for the info
Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

Cheater912 said:
Do you think I can get it replaced at Best Buy? I bought it there last night. I would imagine they have to?
Thanks for the info
Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They have a good return policy, I believe thirty days from receipt . I'd get it replaced right away, sounds like you have a defective one yes. I'd also make sure that it sounds right in front of them with the new one too though if I was you.

I had an HTC 10 have this very same issue and Sprint tech immediately deemed it defective and gave me a new one.
Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

The best buy I bought it from wasn't accepting returns or exchanges on black Friday weekend, but I found one that did. I still hear the noise on the new phone, but it's completely bearable. I'm glad I bought it from a physical store (don't care about the bootloader). Thanks for the info guys
Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

Mine doesn't rattle, but it almost sounds like a buzzer.

This is happening on mine, it's super loud and annoying. I loved the phone up until this issue. Just contacted Google and they told me to basically break the phone completely or kick rocks, extremely upset.

Mine gives a weird crackling sound sometimes when on vibrate. The strange thing is that it sounds like it's coming from the speaker and not the vibration motor. Sounds like the sound crackling issue but mine happens on vibrate!

Low023 said:
This is happening on mine, it's super loud and annoying. I loved the phone up until this issue. Just contacted Google and they told me to basically break the phone completely or kick rocks, extremely upset.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That doesn't really make sense. You should obv chat them back. Do the proper troubleshooting. Factory reset and set up as completely new. If it still happens it's a hardware issue (most likely is) and they will absolutely replace it..

aholeinthewor1d said:
That doesn't really make sense. You should obv chat them back. Do the proper troubleshooting. Factory reset and set up as completely new. If it still happens it's a hardware issue (most likely is) and they will absolutely replace it..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I plan on calling them once a week until I get a new phone. It's not a software issue at all. The little vibration motor is unattached from it's mount point and it rattles against the chassis.
As it sits now, the only thing I could do is simply open the Pixel XL and reattach the motor with an adhesive. This is the worst part really, If I where to open it and fix it, my payed warranty through the Google store would be settled. If I where to "break" the phone I would use the warranty to provide the replacement. All this to get a phone that is not embarrassing when you get notifications because of a manufacturer defect.
So I'm stuck until they recognise it for what it is, a manufacturing defect. Just a quick Google search turns up many YouTube videos of people being effected by this awful sound. Try it yourself Google "Pixel vibration rattle" and sort by videos. This many in just a few months might indicate a wide spread problem, rattle gate if you will.
Even worse, on Android 7.1.1 there is no global vibrate toggle, you have to change the apps individual notification setting and the option is to just turn off notifications rather than a vibration toggle. Extremely inconvenient when it's as loud as it is. Oh and the vibration feeling is weak so it's like a horrible notification tone lol.
/rant over.
Still love you Google, this is just not the way I would have expected dealing with this issue outright.

Static noise during a call.

Has anyone noticed strange static, buzzing noises coming out of the top speaker during the phone call?
It's not happening all the time but I can hear it on most calls. Sounds like internal antennas or something like that.
3XL UK, tried both EE and Three.
Some users reported that turning off HD calling may help but this is not available to do here in UK.
Already with Google customer service, waiting for their reply.
I wonder how many units may be affected.
Please post if you have this issue or not

wazka2 said:
Has anyone noticed strange static, buzzing noises coming out of the top speaker during the phone call?
It's not happening all the time but I can hear it on most calls. Sounds like internal antennas or something like that.
3XL UK, tried both EE and Three.
Some users reported that turning off HD calling may help but this is not available to do here in UK.
Already with Google customer service, waiting for their reply.
I wonder how many units may be affected.
Please post if you have this issue or not
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had this issue on one call, but now I don't but I did get an RMA for it.

DespairFactor said:
I had this issue on one call, but now I don't but I did get an RMA for it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So is your RMA device free from that problem?

wazka2 said:
So is your RMA device free from that problem?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haven't opened it yet to test

DespairFactor said:
Haven't opened it yet to test
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let me know please

I too have this issue.
But this issue is more pronounced when I am on VoLTE calls.
Contacted Google Support and yet to receive a response from them.

I have been offered RMA from Google but I want to hold on for now to see if an update will fix it. I reckon most phones have it but not everyone notice it or is bothered.

RMA'd for this issue and replacement still had it but was much quieter than original phone. Keeping replacement. It's clearly a shielding problem. Thanks for playing pixel lottery.

djy said:
RMA'd for this issue and replacement still had it but was much quieter than original phone. Keeping replacement. It's clearly a shielding problem. Thanks for playing pixel lottery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for feedback.
From your experience, does it happens on every call you make?
For me I can only hear it on some calls.
Someone on Reddit posted that:
Update from OP : Today I met the Google technician at a public cafe - this is the guy assigned by Google support to pick my mobile for servicing. He calmly asked me to unlock the phone and hand it to him, I did, and then he popped out the sim. He switched to another sim, (he was carrying one) and toggled airplane mode and back.
He placed a call and handed the phone over to me. I was like, meh, I've already tried this. But surprisingly, I got no static, no noise. I thought it was a temporary thing, so I ordered coffee and we continued talking about the device while I kept trying to call friends and test the device. No issues again!
He then explained the issue to me - this device earpiece isn't the problem, the baseband/kernel on this device causes it to have lesser signal strength. As soon as I switched to a network with proper VOLTE, the issue disappeared. This is because not all network towers are compatible with this version of the modem's software. Either the networks need signal strength upgrades, or baseband kernels need fixing. Either way, Google is already working with service providers to fix such issues.
He then asked me to not submit the device for repair/factory inspection. I was so confused by not being able to reproduce the issue then, so I went along with his suggestion.
So now, I have a perfectly working device that suffers in poor signal conditions... What happened with your device?

Every call but some worse than others. Sounds like PSU or GPU coil whine.
Someone should ask that Google employee why it doesn't happen on my old S5 (which had over a dozen modems), my wife's 6S, and the Z3 in my car? Why is there static on wifi calls or bluetooth calls?
If it's bothering you, RMA now while replacements are still new phones.

Same problem. Already have the RMA in route.

Have you tried calls via WhatsApp, doing same?

djy said:
Every call but some worse than others. Sounds like PSU or GPU coil whine.
Someone should ask that Google employee why it doesn't happen on my old S5 (which had over a dozen modems), my wife's 6S, and the Z3 in my car? Why is there static on wifi calls or bluetooth calls?
If it's bothering you, RMA now while replacements are still new phones.
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That's the thing , I tried friends Xiaomi mi 6 and it's perfectly clear without any background noises.
Mine is not always present it's coming and going. I am affriad I will get worse that the one I have now.
I will wait and see how much it bothers be
Probably all units got it to some degree.

I played the Pixel lottery and lost. The replacement was three times worse. Crazy... 100% sure this is a shielding issue. Google has promised to make it right. I am sending the replacement back and they are sending out another new unit. Round 2

Wow I had this issue on Pixel 2 XL and thought they might have fixed it on Pixel 3 XL.. Looks like they made it worse.. I wonder when Pixel phones will be free of bugs.. probably Pixel 10 XL

htusa said:
I played the Pixel lottery and lost. The replacement was three times worse. Crazy... 100% sure this is a shielding issue. Google has promised to make it right. I am sending the replacement back and they are sending out another new unit. Round 2
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Sad
Keep us updated on this please?
ram4ufriends said:
Wow I had this issue on Pixel 2 XL and thought they might have fixed it on Pixel 3 XL.. Looks like they made it worse.. I wonder when Pixel phones will be free of bugs.. probably Pixel 10 XL
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I had same problem on my Pixel 2.

Just to update everyone. I have decided to return my phone and reorder with black Friday offering £40 off.
New phone has perfectly clear earpiece, no more static noises.
If it bothers you keep exchanging until you get a good one !

I have the same problem with buzzing in the earpiece during call. Additionally many people say that they can not hear me correctly, my voice is skipping. I hope that they will fix it in the next update as it seems to be modem related. Some calls are normal and some have these problems. Unfortunately I can not RMA as Google is not officially selling pixels in Poland.

wazka2 said:
Just to update everyone. I have decided to return my phone and reorder with black Friday offering £40 off.
New phone has perfectly clear earpiece, no more static noises.
If it bothers you keep exchanging until you get a good one !
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Have you tried making calls in areas with poor signal that's usually where it's the worst. Sometimes my device has this issue and sometimes it doesn't on the 4th one so I gave up with RMA lottery.

zetsumeikuro said:
Have you tried making calls in areas with poor signal that's usually where it's the worst. Sometimes my device has this issue and sometimes it doesn't on the 4th one so I gave up with RMA lottery.
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My first one was bad at my house and this one is perfect