Pixel 9 Pro owner reports camera bar coming loose

Google’s Pixel 9 series introduced a new take on the Pixel line’s iconic (infamous?) rear camera visor, switching from a bar that extends from edge to edge to a rounded, pill-shaped camera island. I generally like the look, but it seems there may be some issues with the new camera bar, with one Pixel 9 Pro owner reporting that their phone’s camera bar simply popped off.

Now, before we go much further, it’s worth noting that there haven’t been widespread reports of this issue. So far, it seems like this incident is the only one, so it might just be a simple manufacturing defect or other one-off issue. That being said, it’s still a bit concerning.

Redditor u/lakhip took to the r/pixel_phones subreddit to share pictures of their Pixel 9 Pro’s camera bar, which detached from the phone. According to the Reddit post, u/lakhip hadn’t dropped the phone or otherwise treated it roughly and said they had kept it in a case since day one. Despite all this, they noticed after leaving the 9 Pro on the bathroom sink while showering that the camera lenses had fogged up. When they examined the phone more closely, they noticed the detached camera bar, which “just lifted right up with a gentle pull.”

Pixel 9 Pro with loose camera bar. | Image credit: u/lakhip

In an update u/lakhip posted the following day, they said they went to the Google Store in New York City and were able to get the phone swapped out. Notably, they said the techs at the store said they had never seen the issue before and would “escalate the issue.”

Several Redditors also dug through the various iFixit guides to compare how the camera bar is secured in the Pixel 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL and the regular Pixel 9. All three appear to have small metal tabs and screws that connect the camera bar to the rear glass panel of the phone, though the Pixel 9’s tabs and screws are in different locations than the 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL. Both the 9 Pro and Pro XL sport small metal tabs and screws on the left side next to the temperature sensor and flash array, which is also where u/lakhip’s 9 Pro camera bar came loose. It’s hard to tell from the picture u/lakhip shared, but it looks like the metal tab is still partially attached.

Internals of the Pixel 9 series showing how the camera bar is attached. | Images credit: iFixit, (2), (3)

I’ll be watching closely to see if any more reports of loose Pixel camera bars emerge going forward. It’s certainly a strange and concerning issue, though as mentioned above, seemingly not a widespread one. I haven’t had any issues with either the Pixel 9 or 9 Pro that I have, and the camera bars feel solidly attached.

Source: Reddit Via: Android Police