It takes too long to search for a signal
When it comes to massive user platforms, development pipelines are crucial to ensure features work the way you want them to, without the mess and pain of errors and bugs that just pop up out of the blue. So far, Android 13 QPR1 has been in beta for over two months and through three iterations, and it looks like testers have spotted an issue that needs to be addressed before the update rolls out to all Pixel users next month.
An initial report was submitted to Google’s Issue Tracker (via Reddit) on Oct. 27, where the user says they routinely park in an underground garage where cell signals can’t reach. Once they get above ground, they discover that their Pixel 7, which is on QPR1 Beta 3, won’t reconnect to their Verizon service unless they turn Airplane Mode on and off. Further and more recent claims from other users stretch across devices (including from the Pixel 5 and 6 series) and countries (Italy and Spain have been mentioned). Some of them say that their phone eventually regains signal between two and thirty minutes later. Others say that the trick of turning on airplane mode does not solve the problem for them.
Due to the nature of this problem, it is more chronic for adventurous Pixel owners who drive through zones of poor coverage and end up in a structured parking garage. It may be more acute for subway riders, where the stations provide a measure of connectivity between the long openings of the tunnels. That said, we’re talking crucial functionality on these phones, so it’s a big deal no matter how you slice it.
The case has been assigned for investigation. Google has not released an update since the reporting user submitted an enhanced bug report with expanded vendor log.
As mentioned above, as QPR1 becomes the ship for the big Pixel Feature Drop expected in December, eyes are on Google to ensure these experiences can be resolved.