9to5Google Weekender: How’s your Pixel holding up as the heat returns?

Ben Schoon | May 21 2023 - 9:00 am PT

Google’s Pixel phones are, unfortunately, a bit notorious for running on the warm side. As warmer temperatures start to settle in for many, how’s your Pixel holding up in the heat?

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Since the switch to Tensor, Google’s Pixel phones have earned a reputation for not handling heat very well. The chips tend to generate quite a bit of heat during operation, and that’s only made worse when Summer temperatures arrive. It’s not uncommon for these phones to show warnings about heat and suffer in performance as a result.

Realistically, heat is something that’s going to affect any smartphone, but it’s pronounced on Pixel phones just because of how good Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips are at staying cool, and how good the cooling methods have become on competing Android phones.

Personally, in North Carolina, I’ve been noticing my Pixel 7 Pro starting to struggle with heat just as temperatures have touched the 80s, and I’m not really looking forward to a Summer of trying to keep my phone cool. I remember quite a few times last year where I was holding my Pixel 6 Pro up against a cold drink or the vent in my car to try and drop its temperature on a hot day. It’s one of the things that I didn’t miss when using devices from Samsung and OnePlus over the hottest months.

Google might end up making this problem even worse soon, too.

As our Kyle Bradshaw discovered this week, Pixel phones will soon introduce a feature that lets the phone double as a dashcam for your car. It’s a brilliant idea, but also a recipe for making your Pixel struggle in the heat. Sitting things up on the car’s dashboard on a hot, sunny day is already going to result in problems, but adding constant video recording seems especially questionable.

I’m really, really hoping Google can make some improvements with Tensor G3 and cooling on the Pixel 8, because dealing with this problem is starting to get a little ridiculous. At least it sounds like Samsung’s chip manufacturing process is getting better. Google has a brand loyalty problem, as a recent report showed, and I’d be willing to bet overheating is one reason people are willing to consider a switch.

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