TheGoogle Pixel 6lineup was infamous for itspoor connectivity issues. The Exynos modem inside the Tensor G1 was outdated and a power hog, leading to poor connection, frequently dropped calls, and excessive battery drain. Google switched to a newer Exynos 5300 modem on thePixel 7, which promised better performance. In the months following the phone’s release, though, users kept reporting excessive battery drain when using mobile data, raising concerns about the power efficiency of the Exynos modem. Sadly, thePixel 8appears to have the same set of issues.
There are numerous reports onReddit,Google’s support forum, andXDA forumsfrom Pixel 8 owners complaining about excessive battery drain and the phone getting warm when mobile data is used extensively. Some users are also facing random connectivity issues and getting poor mobile data speeds on 5G. This does not appear to be an issue when the phone is connected to Wi-Fi, with the battery lasting a lot longer as well.
I have been experiencing the same issue on myPixel 8 Pro. When connected to a 5G network, the phone gets warm if I browse the web for over 5 minutes. The battery life is noticeably worse on mobile data as well, with the phone getting around 4-4.5 hours of screen-on time over 12–14 hours of general use.
TheTensor G3inside the Pixel 8 series uses the same Exynos 5300 modem as theTensor G2. There might be minor improvements, but Google and Samsung have not detailed them. The Exynos modem is fabricated on Samsung’s 4nm EUV node, which the company claims makes it more efficient than its predecessor, the Exynos 5123. While that might be the case, the improvement does not seem to be big enough.
It’s possible that Google could fix the excessive power consumption by updating the modem’s firmware. The company should soon roll out the November security patch for all compatible Pixels. That update could contain some Pixel 8-specific bug fixes and enhancements, especially since these phones have only received one software update since their release. But given that the same connectivity issues have plagued the previous two Pixel phones, don’t expect radical improvements.
Switching the Pixel 8 to LTE-only mode seems to help reduce the battery drain. You can find this option underNetwork and internet > SIMs > [operator name] > Preferred network type. But then, you will miss out on the blazing-fast data speeds that 5G networks offer.
As things stand currently, if you primarily use your phone on mobile data, you are better off getting one of thebest Android phonespowered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip. Qualcomm chips are known for their excellent baseband and connectivity features.
