Google Pixel User Returns Device Due to Overheating and Auto-Dialing

Paying €800 for a phone that overheats and dials itself: The Pixel case

A user spent nearly €800 on a Google Pixel, convinced pure Android was the ultimate solution. Within weeks, they returned it. The device heats up despite lacking a high-end processor, battery life fails to last all day, charging caps at 27W compared to their previous Xiaomi's 67W, indoor camera performance is poor, and auto-brightness behaves unpredictably. "I searched online and apparently this happens to everyone," he summarizes. His conclusion: back to the €200 smartphone.

This is not an isolated incident. Another participant with a Pixel 6 confirms the same overheating pattern and adds a painful detail: in 2026, the lineup stops receiving security updates. The irony is that the Pixel is marketed as the reference Android, the one that leads. In practice, users pay a premium for an experience their budget phone handled better.

Why does an €800 phone perform worse than a €200 one?

The short answer: because the price markup buys brand and promises, not performance. The Pixel boasts seven years of updates, local AI, and a camera praised by critics. On paper, unbeatable. In hand, auto-brightness goes haywire, charging is slow, and the processor overheats without heavy load. None of this appears in the spec sheet.

Some argue it is an issue of expectations: those paying €800 expect a premium experience and do not get it. Counter-arguments highlight that a Poco X6 offers a 5,500 mAh battery, 67W charging, a 64 MP camera, a 120 Hz screen, and 12 GB of RAM for just over €200. "I see no decisive advantage in more expensive phones," its owner states firmly.

The comparison stings even more when looking at current low-end devices. An €80 smartphone is "more than sufficient" for calls, messaging, internet, and video, according to another testimony. And a Samsung A13 with a cracked screen still works three years later. The question is no longer what money buys, but what it fails to buy.

The trap of pure Android and updates

The Pixel is sold as Android without skins, ads, or pre-installed software. This is its main argument against Xiaomi, whose software layer carries bloatware and advertisements. But pure Android does not guarantee thermal stability or battery autonomy. Moreover, the updates—that asset justifying the price—have an expiration date: the Pixel 6 stops receiving them in 2026.

The Chinese market offers alternatives unknown to many Spanish buyers. Vivo X100 Ultra and X200 Ultra are sold only in China, purchased via TradingShenzhen, and arrive in three weeks. "They are amazing," says someone who has tried them. The brand has no presence here, yet competes in camera and battery with devices costing double.

The real cost of a phone: the calculation nobody makes

Spending €800 on a phone when you have only €120 left for the month is a decision arithmetic does not support. The thread's joke is cruel but accurate: the problem is not the phone, it is the bank account. The pattern repeats: financed devices bought to impress, while mid-range models solve the same issues for a quarter of the price.

The opposing argument also holds weight. Those using the phone for almost everything—work, camera, navigation—and not upgrading every two years can justify the expense. A device lasts many years, and the quality jump is noticeable. But that logic requires choosing the right model, and according to testimonials, the Pixel is not it.

The buyer's conclusion is the most honest in the thread: return the €800 device and keep the €200 one. It is not a technological defeat. It is arithmetic.