After the initial issues with the Pixel 2 line (primarily around the Pixel 2 XL’s display and its quirks), it seems like there’s another issue cropping up, this time with random reboots according to 9to5Google.
We’ve not experienced this locally with any of the Pixel 2 handsets in our hands, but it seems a good number have elsewhere. One such user, Nader Babbili, has taken to Google’s Pixel product forums and identified that the LTE modem in the Pixel 2 line may be the cause:
I KNOW WHY THIS IS HAPPENING!!! It’s from being in a low signal area and LTE – for example when I’m at home on wifi it rarely happens, once I leave my wifi area (low signal area, LTE comes and goes) reboots happen constantly . . . So I went into Settings -> Network and Internet -> Mobile Network and change Preferred network type to only use 3G = NO MORE REBOOTS! Can someone else please confirm this? Obviously leaving LTE off is not feasible, but hopefully it points Google in the right direction for fixing this . . . . .
I’ve narrowed it down even more . . . the area that it continuously reboots with LTE has a Wilson Cell Amplifier in the area, I got access to be able to unplug it temporarily . . . . and low and behold LTE is on, and no more reboots . . . . so the Amplifier is the culprit . . . . either the phone doesn’t know how to work with a boosted signal or the booster doesn’t know how to work with Pixel . . .
Android Police has observed that the problem likely means the LTE modem is causing a kernel panic of some kind when the device is in LTE and in particular use cases. At this stage, it doesn’t seem that whatever the issue is has been fixed in Android 8.1, or in replacement devices sent to affected users.
I guess we’re rather fortunate we’ve not seen these issues here, and as my phone lives on LTE virtually all the time, if it was going to happen I guess it would’ve.
