Google Pixel 4 bottom speaker reportedly broken on some units, not even a factory reset fixes it

Smartphone vendors are yet to make a smartphone that ticks all the consumer boxes. No matter how close to perfection they come, there is always something or two off about the phones we get every year.

But one that has perhaps a lot to learn from its peers is Google. The search giant has been making phones for at least three years now. Granted, you’d expect Google to take a good look at previous hardware issues in the Pixel line up and deliver a perfect or near-perfect Pixel 4.

Going by what came out, that was too much to ask from the big G. Google’s Pixel range has perfected the art of leaving out important features. For the fourth year running, it is no longer excusable coming from Google, not especially when you are paying a premium.

To be fair, Pixel phones are a good package, but with each iteration, Google somehow manages to sneak in some questionable decisions. The Pixel 2 XL had several display issues while the Pixel 3 XL had an eye-blinding notch up top. Let’s not even go back to the OG Pixel and Nexus range.

As it stands, the Pixel 4 picks up from where the Pixel 3 left off with a bunch of its own issues, both software and others seemingly hardware-related. PiunikaWeb readers will have come across various coverages on Pixel 4 issues and today, we have yet another one.

Apparently, several Pixel 4 owners say the device’s bottom speaker is suddenly not working. The Pixel 4 ships with dual stereo speakers each with a separate amplifier, but for some reason, the bottom one is broken.

Same issue with Pixel 4. Bottom speaker stopped working. This is affecting:

a) calls with regular audio setting
b) calls with speaker function on
c) videocalls on Whatsapp and Facebook messenger app
d) alarms
e) message notifications

I’ve tried safe mode, cache cleaning and factory settings reset. Nothing has worked. Looks like it’s a hardware issue.
Source

My pixel 4 seems to lose its speaker function after taking a phone call. When I play media after a call, the audio only wants to come out of the ear speaker and not the bottom two speakers. I can go to the settings and max out everything but it only increases the ear speaker to it’s max potential. Once I restart my device it goes back to normal. This is upsetting because Verizon already agreed to send me a new device. But this device is doing it too? Did I get 2 duds?
Source

The Pixel 4 bottom speaker issue was first reported in November 2019, but fresh reports are beginning to show up as recent as yesterday suggesting the issue hasn’t been addressed to date.

Is this another hardware issue? It could be, especially since not even doing a factory reset or downgrading to older firmware that worked fine fixes the issue. But if it makes you feel any better, it seems the sound issue isn’t just affecting the Pixel 4.

Just yesterday, we covered reports from various Pixel owners about an alarm sound issue that was allegedly being caused by the Google Clock app, but at least this one had a workaround. As for the Pixel 4 bottom speaker issue, there is no known workaround so far.

Now we wait to hear from Google.

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