The Google Pixel 3 is having issues w/ video audio quality

[DrMacintosh]

It would appear that the Google Pixel 3 has hit a bit of a snag. We all know that the Pixel 3 and 3XL have the best shooter camera.....but we also know that the Pixel is far from the best video camera out there. The phone can't even do 4k@60fps (and some phones that can have a time limit *cough* Samsung *cough*), but this new potential issue has to do with audio quality. 

 

Modern smartphones like the iPhone Xs and certain Android smartphones offer stereo recording now for video and offer great sound quality. However, as discovered by Travis McP, the Google Pixel 3 would seem to offer the exact opposite experience.....

According to Travis and Front Page Tech via ftp's community page

Spoiler

It would appear that the Pixel 3 suffers from tiny mic and hissing syndrome. In an audio recording in a silent room an electrical hiss is clearly audible, creating a loud noise floor . For a phone that is advertised at being great at photography you would think Google would make sure that their Flagship smartphone would have better audio than a $200 budget phone, and that isn't an exaggeration either btw, the Pixels mic quality is BAD. 

 

It is unknown if this is a software issue and can be quickly patched by Google thanks to the Pixels great update times, or if this is a hardware issue caused by poor electrical isolation in the Pixel 3s' design. Either way, screwing something like this up is kinda sad, come on Google. If this ends up being a hardware issue, imo the Pixel 3 cannot be justified over something like the iPhone Xs or S9 even which both offer a slightly worse photo experience but can at least record usable video. 

 

It is unconfirmed if the Pixel 3 XL also is also experiencing this issue. 

 

Sources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5ue8R2A-oM

ftp YouTube community page

 

[voiha]

Maybe they f*cked up when making it IP68 certificate. We know how this affects speakers sound quality and volume.

[DrMacintosh]

1 minute ago, voiha said:

Maybe they f*cked up when making it IP68 certificate. We know how this affects speakers sound quality and volume.

This is referring to the Pixel 3s microphone when recording video, not its speakers. Those a perfectly fine. 

[bleedblue]

Yeah, noticed in reviews where the reviewers were using multiple phones, the audio quality on the Pixel 3 was noticeably worse when they switched to the footage recorded with it.

 

How did something like this get passed Google's QC? They really need to take it up a notch in that department.

[GoldenLag]

Pixel 2 apperantly had a similar issue, which was fixed in a software patch, but its dumb how this got through Quality control

[vanished]

47 minutes ago, DrMacintosh said:

[...] Modern smartphones like the iPhone Xs and certain Android smartphones offer stereo recording now [...]

Yeah it's not that new.  Huawei P10 Lite is one not particularly new or expensive model that does it, and it sounds pretty decent imo.

All the more embarrassing that Google managed to mess this up.  Just throw it on the pile of other disappointments with this device I guess.

[D13H4RD]

I mean, it's a Pixel. 

 

And where there's a Pixel, there's issues 

[Trixanity]

I guess they need to tune that AI™ algorithm. We all know no people work at Google anymore.

[D13H4RD]

30 minutes ago, Ryan_Vickers said:

Yeah it's not that new.  Huawei P10 Lite is one not particularly new or expensive model that does it, and it sounds pretty decent imo.

All the more embarrassing that Google managed to mess this up.  Just throw it on the pile of other disappointments with this device I guess.

Stereo recording on phones have been around for ages. 

 

It still astounds me that Apple and Google took this long to embrace how we humans have 2 ears, but then again, it's better late and never, I guess...

[williamcll]

Just get a oneplus 6

[suicidalfranco]

Pixels? With Issues?

Colour me impressed

[mynameisjuan]

The video quality is great as shown by most youtubers but the sound is pretty poo. 

 

Even if its hardware Google is going to release this magic patch to fix it. 

[Doobeedoo]

That sucks, seems every Pixel phone generation is rushed. Sure great camera and stock Android. Aside from that... Yeah. 

No 4k@60fps is just fail. Also when camera for pictures is good but lacks in video quality and features is a miss. As well as audio too. 

Aside from main camera it seems they like to target mainly selfie users. 

[Sniperfox47]

It's using the audio codec (DAC/ADC/Encoder/Decoder) in the SoC just like a lot of high end phones so the most likely probability is that they just built the sample release with it running in a lower than native sample rate. A lot of these tiny integrated ADCs have issues when recording at low sample rates, adding a lot more electrical noise then they otherwise would when they downsample.

 

A number of my smaller USB DACs have similar issues if they're doing the upsampling.

[TacoSenpai]

I'll stick with my Samsung Galaxy for now thanks.

[D13H4RD]

Oh yeah. If you have one of those fast wireless chargers, don't bother using the Pixel 3 on them.

 

They'll only supply 5W unless you use the $79 Pixel Stand 

[xtroria]

Small things like these are why I upgraded from an iPhone to another iPhone. It's still the most well rounded package overall.

 

Before someone else quote me to say note 9, I would like to say: 3D touch, apple haptic feedback and on time software updates

[D13H4RD]

Just now, xtroria said:

Small things like these are why I upgraded from an iPhone to another iPhone. It's still the most well rounded package overall.

This isn't small. It's a significant blunder because audio is the other half of a video.

[JettaGetUpandGo]

There is a difference between there being an actual issue with the microphone or software and Google just using a shitty mic that is working as intended.

 

That being said, it does sound terrible, but I can count on one hand how many times I have recorded a video on a phone where I have cared at all about the audio quality.  This isn't going to keep me from enjoying my Pixel 3 (non-xl).

[Brehohn]

Pretty sad that regardless of how many mistakes they've made on each iteration, THEY STILL MANAGE TO CREATE MORE.

 

How the hell is Google not hardcore testing these? Come on. This should have been a simple one.

[D13H4RD]

18 minutes ago, Brehohn said:

Pretty sad that regardless of how many mistakes they've made on each iteration, THEY STILL MANAGE TO CREATE MORE.

 

How the hell is Google not hardcore testing these? Come on. This should have been a simple one.

It was a thing on the Pixel 2 XL, apparently 

[Arika]

it's all the layering the microphone needs to listen to you at all points in time

[Lurick]

On 10/23/2018 at 2:21 AM, D13H4RD2L1V3 said:

Oh yeah. If you have one of those fast wireless chargers, don't bother using the Pixel 3 on them.

 

They'll only supply 5W unless you use the $79 Pixel Stand 

Yah, just found this out. Kind of miffed about that =(