The Google Pixel 8 battery apparently drains like crazy on mobile data

Hands-on with the Google Pixel 8 Pro
(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

What you need to know

  • The Pixel 8 series is experiencing connectivity and overheating problems, and users of the regular model are reporting rapid battery drain when using mobile data.
  • The Exynos 5300 modem on the Tensor G3 is believed to be the culprit behind the battery drain issue.
  • Google may be able to resolve the connectivity and battery drain issues with a software update.

Mobile data appears to be quickly draining the Google Pixel 8, with the device running out of juice much faster than on Wi-Fi, causing many users headaches.

Pixel 8 owners have complained on various online forums about their batteries draining quickly and their phones getting warm when they use mobile data a lot. Some users are also having random connectivity issues and getting slow 5G speeds.

One user took to Google's support forum to say their week-old Pixel 8 had only 20% battery left after less than three hours of use. Android Police's Rajesh Pandey also had battery and overheating problems with his Pixel 8 Pro.

The rapid battery drain doesn't seem to happen when the phone is connected to Wi-Fi. Google has yet to shed light on the issue, but some Pixel 8 users posted on Reddit that the Exynos 5300 modem may be causing the battery drain, with most of them barely getting five hours of screen-on time on mobile data, compared to around seven hours on Wi-Fi.

It looks like Google's latest and greatest Android phones can't keep a good signal in places where other phones like the Pixel 7 usually work fine. Some Pixel 8 users reported having the same bad signal and connection problems as the Pixel 6.

It can be recalled that the Pixel 6 series was known for its bad signal and reception. Google fixed a lot of this with the Pixel 7 series, but some problems lingered.

Other users have complained on XDA forums that the Pixel 8 gets warm while charging or even browsing the web. It's not clear how many people are having this problem, but some Pixel 8 users say the phone feels cooler than older Pixel phones, which have had overheating problems in the past.

For many people, including Google fans who don't want to spend a lot of money and those who want a powerful phone, the Pixel 8 is a great option. But even though Google has made a lot of progress in making better phones, some old problems still persist.

Google will presumably release a bunch of fixes for these connectivity, overheating, and battery drain problems through a software update.

Jay Bonggolto
News Writer & Reviewer

Jay Bonggolto always keeps a nose for news. He has been writing about consumer tech and apps for as long as he can remember, and he has used a variety of Android phones since falling in love with Jelly Bean. Send him a direct message via Twitter or LinkedIn.

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