It happens every year. The hype builds up, the pre-orders sell out, and finally, that sleek new box arrives on your doorstep. You peel off the plastic, power it up, and… something isn’t right.
If you picked up a Samsung Galaxy S25 or a Google Pixel 10 recently, you might be noticing some quirks. And by “quirks,” I mean annoying glitches that make you question why you just spent nearly £1,000.
You aren’t alone.
We’ve been seeing these devices come into the shop for a few weeks now. It’s not that they are bad phones—honestly, the hardware on both is incredible, but the first few batches and software updates often come with growing pains.
Here is a look at the Samsung S25 and Pixel 10 common faults we are seeing right now, what is actually causing them, and whether you need a repair or just a bit of patience.
The Google Pixel 10: Battery Anxiety is Back
Let’s start with Google. The Pixel 10 is arguably the smartest phone on the market. The AI integration is genuinely useful, and the camera is, as always, top-tier. But there is one major complaint dominating the forums and our customer inquiries: battery drain.
It’s frustrating. You leave the house at 8 AM with a full charge, and by 2 PM, you’re looking for a socket.
The “December Patch” Problem
Here is the thing: it’s not necessarily a bad battery. If you bought your Pixel 10 in October or November, it probably ran fine. But the recent December 2025 security patch seems to have introduced a conflict with Google Play Services.
Basically, your phone is staying “awake” when it should be sleeping. It’s constantly pinging servers in the background, chewing through power even when the screen is off.
Can you fix it?
Before you book a battery replacement, try this. Go into your settings and look at your battery usage. If “Google Play Services” is at the top of the list, it’s a software bug.
- Go to Settings > Apps > Google Play Services.
- Clear the Cache and Storage.
- Restart the phone.
This often forces the system to “calm down.” However, if your phone is physically getting hot while doing nothing, that heat can degrade the chemical health of the battery permanently. If the drain persists after the next update, come see us. We might need to swap the cell.
The Samsung S25: Great Screen, Grumpy Camera
Samsung usually nails the hardware. The S25 screens are beautiful, bright, crisp, and tough. But this year, the chatter is all about the camera, specifically on the Ultra models.
Users are reporting vertical streaking in low-light photos. You take a picture of the Christmas tree or a street lamp, and instead of a nice glow, you get a weird, distinct line cutting through the image.
Is it Hardware or Software?
This is the tricky part. Samsung has released a statement saying a software update is coming to tweak the image processing. And for some minor noise issues, that will work.
But for the hard vertical lines? That is usually a hardware sensor issue. It looks like a batch of the new 200MP sensors might be hypersensitive to specific light frequencies.
If you have updated your S25 to the latest firmware and those lines are still there, no app is going to fix it. The camera module itself likely needs replacing. It’s a precision job, we have to open the back, remove the shielding, and swap the unit, but it solves the problem instantly.
The Overheating Issue (Both Phones)
This is a big one, and it’s partly due to the time of year.
We are in the middle of a UK winter. You are walking outside in near-freezing temps, and then you walk into a heated shop or your warm living room.
Both the S25 and the Pixel 10 are running powerful processors (the Snapdragon 8 Elite and the Tensor G5). They run warm naturally. But when you combine a high-performance chip with rapid temperature changes, the thermal management systems can get confused.
We’ve had customers bring in phones saying, “It shut down and won’t turn on.”
Often, this is a safety mechanism. If the battery sensor thinks the temp has jumped too high (or dropped too low) too quickly, it cuts the power.
The danger here isn’t the shutdown – it’s the condensation.
If you take a freezing cold phone and immediately plug it into a fast charger in a warm room, you risk internal moisture forming near the port. If you see a “Moisture Detected” warning on your Samsung, do not ignore it. Please do not shake it. Do not put it in rice (please, stop using rice; it just adds dust).
Let it sit on the side for an hour at room temperature. If the warning won’t go away after drying, the sensor might have shorted. That is a quick port repair for us.
The Charging Port “Wobble”
Speaking of charging ports, let’s talk about the physical build.
Both Samsung and Google have moved to slightly wider, reinforced USB-C ports this year to handle faster charging speeds (45W+). That’s great for speed, but it seems to have made them a little more susceptible to the “wobble.”
You know the feeling. You plug the cable in, but it doesn’t “click.” You have to hold it at a specific angle to get it to charge.
90% of the time, this is just pocket lint.
Because the ports are deeper, they pack lint down right at the bottom. It forms a hard little felt pad that stops the plug from making full contact.
You can try to clean this yourself, but be careful. Use something non-conductive, like a wooden toothpick or a plastic dental pick. Never use a metal pin. One slip with a metal pin can short the pins inside the port, turning a free cleaning job into a soldering repair.
If you’ve cleaned it and the cable still falls out, the internal solder joints might have cracked. We are seeing this a lot on the Pixel 10 specifically. It’s a straightforward fix for a pro, but it does require opening the device.
The “Ghost Touch” Phenomenon
We have mentioned this with the iPhone 17 recently, but the S25 is suffering from it too. You are typing a message, and the keyboard starts hitting keys you didn’t touch. Or you try to scroll, and the screen freezes.
This “Ghost Touch” is often related to screen protectors.
The S25 has an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor built into the screen. It is incredibly secure, but it is fussy. If you bought a cheap, thick tempered glass protector from a market stall, it might be putting constant pressure on the digitizer.
The test is simple: Take the protector off. Does the ghosting stop?
If yes, you just need a better quality, thinner protector (we stock the ones that actually work with the fingerprint sensor, by the way).
If the ghosting continues without the protector, the digitizer layer in your screen might be faulty. That’s a warranty job if your screen isn’t cracked, or a screen replacement if you’ve dropped it.
When Should You Go to the Manufacturer?
I’m an independent repair tech. Obviously, I want your business. But I’m also honest.
If your Pixel 10 or S25 is brand new, less than 30 days old, and it has a major hardware fault like the camera lines or a dead motherboard, you should go back to where you bought it. You have consumer rights. They should swap it for a new one.
However, manufacturer warranties have limits.
- They won’t cover you if you dropped it.
- They won’t cover “normal wear and tear” on charging ports.
- They definitely won’t cover liquid damage (even though they say the phones are “water-resistant”).
- And they will often wipe your data as a standard policy.
That is where we come in.
Why Local Repair Beats the “Big Guys”
When you send your phone away to a manufacturer service centre, you are just a number in a queue. You might not see your device for two weeks.
At Phone Clinic Repair, we work differently.
We know that your phone is your life. It’s your wallet, your map, your connection to work. You can’t be without it for 14 days just because of a loose charging port.
We focus on Samsung S25 and Pixel 10 common faults because we want to be ready with the parts before you walk in. We stock the batteries, the official service-pack screens, and the charging modules.
Most of the issues I listed above? We can fix them while you grab a coffee.
The Verdict on the S25 and Pixel 10
Despite the issues, I actually really like these phones. The Pixel 10’s software is genuinely helpful, and the S25 is a powerhouse.
Tech is complicated. The more features they pack in, the more things can go wrong. It’s just the nature of the beast.
If you are lucky, your new phone is working perfectly. But if you are noticing the battery draining too fast, the camera acting weird, or that charging cable feeling loose, don’t just live with it. These phones are too expensive to work “okay.”
Bring it down to the shop. We can run a diagnostic, tell you if it’s a simple software fix you can do yourself, or quote you for a proper repair.
Don’t let a small glitch turn into a dead phone.
Need help with your S25 or Pixel 10? Visit us at phoneclinicrepair or drop into the shop. We get you back online, fast.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. Why is my Google Pixel 10 battery draining so fast?
A: The rapid battery drain on the Pixel 10 is often caused by a software conflict in the December 2025 security patch involving Google Play Services. Clearing the cache for Google Play Services often resolves this. If the phone physically overheats constantly, the battery health may be degraded and require replacement.
Q2. How do I fix the vertical lines on my Samsung S25 camera?
A: Vertical streaks in low-light photos on the Samsung S25 Ultra are typically a hardware issue with the new light sensor. While software updates can reduce noise, distinct lines usually indicate a faulty camera module that needs to be replaced by a professional technician.
Q3. Is it normal for the Samsung S25 to get hot while charging?
A: The S25 runs on a high-performance processor, so some warmth is normal. However, if it becomes too hot to hold or shuts down, it may be due to using an unofficial charger or a failure in the vapor chamber cooling system. Avoid charging immediately after coming in from the cold to prevent condensation.
Q4. Why does my charging cable feel loose on my new phone?
A: Both the Pixel 10 and S25 use deeper USB-C ports, which are prone to compacting pocket lint at the bottom. This prevents the cable from clicking into place. A professional cleaning using non-conductive tools usually fixes this “wobble” without needing a full port replacement.
Q5. Does the manufacturer warranty cover cracked screens or liquid damage?
A: Generally, no. Standard manufacturer warranties cover mechanical breakdowns (like a button stopping working) but exclude “accidental damage” such as dropped screens or water ingress. For these repairs, an independent specialist like Phone Clinic Repair is often faster and more affordable.