Google is facing a class-action lawsuit over defects to its Pixel smartphones.

Plaintiffs have accused Google of selling defective Pixel XL and Pixel smartphones despite “knowing it suffers” issues with the microphone, as according to clients, it doesn’t function properly.

Plaintiffs Patricia Weeks and Waleed Anbar said in the suit: “It promoted the Pixel phones as premium products and priced them from US$649 to US$869. Yet, immediately after launching the phones, customers complained directly to Google of ‘severe microphone issues’.

Faulty microphones

“Despite receiving hundreds of complaints shortly after launch – and admitting the phones have ‘faulty microphones’ – Google continues to sell the Pixel phones without telling purchasers about the microphone defect.”

According to Brian Rakowski, Google’s vice president of product management, the firm acknowledged defects within the microphone, stating that the issues affected less than 1% of the units sold at the time and that.

He also noted the “hairline crack in the solder connection on the audio codec” was to blame.

Replacing the devices

The plaintiffs claimed that “instead of fixing the defective Pixel phones, providing refunds, or replacing the devices with non-defective phones, Google has replaced defective phones with other defective phones, resulting in many consumers repeatedly experiencing the microphone defect,” according to The Guardian. 

Google has now urged clients with affected Pixel smartphones to claim under warranty or to contact a service provider if out of warranty.

Written by Leah Alger