Archives June 2020

CTDI Singapore

I was told by Google online support that my phone was still under warranty, and no appointments were required, so today I made a trip all the way down to Kallang Avenue. I walked into CTDI, located on the third floor of the Aperia Mall.

The lady at the reception counter ran some online checks and asked me for my original proof of purchase. I told her that I have deleted the original email that Google has sent me, but I still kept a screenshot, to which she actually gladly accepted. What happened next wasn’t that pleasant though, she told me that the warranty for Pixel 3 is only for 12 months so that would mean that my warranty has already expired.

I explained to her that Google online support has assured me that my phone was still under warranty, otherwise I would have looked for more convenient options than to come all the way down. She insisted that my phone’s warranty has already expired and hence for them to fix my faulty power button, it would cost at least $300 for original parts and replacement.

It didn’t make any sense to me so I walked out of the repair centre, with my phone in the same condition that I brought it in.

I still love my phone a lot. The phone itself comes packed with features that are amazing, and the camera is still hella exceptional. I could probably continue using this phone for the next 1-2 years if both hardware and software work properly.

But, when it comes to product support and after-sales, I am sorry but Google falls incredibly short in this area.

18 Months With Pixel 3

It has been 18 months since I have made the switch from iPhone to Android, and Google has also released the Pixel 4 just a few months back. I was expecting the Pixel 4 to be a better version of the Pixel 3 but unfortunately I was left disappointed. There was no doubt that I wasn’t the only one feeling this way because Google didn’t do very well with the Pixel 4 sales.

My Pixel 3 is also starting to come up with several hardware issues, like a wonky power button. It seems to be a common issue as I searched for it online and there has been numerous reports. What happens is that the power button gets very sensitive, even a slight touch triggers it. I removed my case because of this because as the case wraps around the power button, it gets pressed for no reason at all.

Even so, sometimes I give the power button a slight push, maybe to take a screenshot, or when I really have to restart my phone, the power button still remains pressed even though I have already released it. I have had my phone in endless restart loops because the power button is stuck. I had to knock it really hard, like against the corner of my table, to get it back working again.

My phone is still under warranty so why don’t I just get it fixed, you might ask. Well, there is only one service centre in Singapore and reviews about them are quite mixed. Fellow Pixel users have highlighted that process to get your phones checked and repaired can take quite long even with minimal queue.

I tried contacting them once, hoping to resolve my power button issue, but they send me an email informing me to prepare my original proof of purchase. I bought this online from Google Store and I have deleted the email a long time back. I didn’t bother replying them but I would think that Google Store probably still have records of my purchase should I really need to retrieve it.

Other than that, the phone works fine. I am not a gamer so considering the small RAM, I really don’t know how fast can the phone go on a memory-consuming app. I hardly use the speakers but when I did, I was quite amazed that the front-facing speakers actually sounded great. The feature that I really love on the Pixel 3, that you probably can’t find on any other phone in the market right now, is the wide-angle front camera lens.

The latest iPhone 11 and Samsung S20 models do not come with it. Speaking of which, actually even the Pixel 4 does not have the wide-angle front camera lens. This is basically the only reason and also the best reason why I am sticking to my Pixel 3.

The Pixel 5 is expected to be announced later this year, and let’s wait to see what it will come with.