Google says not to worry about the bumps appearing on some Pixel 8 screens

This is fine

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A few days agowe reported ona worrying issue that was developing with the screens on certain Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro phones – butGooglehas now gone on the record to say that the problem is nothing to be concerned about.

FromReddit threads,forum posts, andYouTube videos, we could see that a number of users were spotting small bumps or dents on their Pixel 8 displays. They don’t seem to affect the functionality of the screens, and they’re only visible under certain lighting conditions, but they’re definitely there.

Now Google has weighed in by giving a statement to9to5Google: “Pixel 8 phones have a new display. When the screen is turned off, not in use and in specific lighting conditions, some users may see impressions from components in the device that look like small bumps,” says a spokesperson.

“There is no functional impact to Pixel 8 performance or durability,” the spokesperson adds. In other words, these bumps are there – caused by internal components as previously thought – but they’re not actually a problem.

Not to worry

What Google seems to be saying here is that it’s an aesthetic issue rather than a functional one – the small blemishes aren’t actually affecting the way that the screens on theGoogle Pixel 8and theGoogle Pixel 8 Prooperate.

Still, it’s somewhat annoying to buy a new smartphone and then notice indentations in the screen. We’re still not sure how widespread this issue is, or indeed whether it affects every single Pixel 8 phone out there, but it’s not something we noticed in the course of writing ourGoogle Pixel 8 revieworGoogle Pixel 8 Pro review.

In the forum and Reddit posts that we linked earlier, some Pixel 8 owners have reported that they’ve been able to get replacement units from Google, so this might be something to try if you’re seeing these bumps and they’re bothering you, though Google is stopping short of guaranteeing replacement phones for everyone affected.

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This isn’t the only problem Google has had to deal with lately either: it recently fixed anasty software bugthat was causing crashes on Pixel devices running Android 14, and there have also been reports of astrange screen tint issueon some Pixel 8 Pro units.

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Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you’ll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.

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