Google says the gap between the Google Pixel 5's screen and frame is apparently not a concern because it is a "normal part of the design."

That may be a hard line to swallow for a $699 phone, but community specialists on Google's support forum are apparently taking that stance. The specialist states, "We have had the opportunity to examine units from our customers, and combined with quality control data from the factory, we can confirm that the variance in clearance between the body and the display is a normal part of your Pixel 5's design."

We have not noticed any screen gaps on either of our review units of the Pixel 5. We found Google's new phone to be solidly built, even if not made from premium materials like competitors like the iPhone 12.

However, we are a bit puzzled as to why the screen gap is part of the Pixel 5's design. The Community Specialist's name is David Pop, but we could find no indication that he is a Google employee. His profile has a badge indicating that he is a Google partner "helping to ensure the quality of community content," but there is nothing to indicate that he is an official Google spokesperson.

Therefore, his statements should be taken with skepticism. No official comment has been obtained from Google on the screen gap issue.

Returning to the Pixel 5's screen gap issue, Pop has stated that it will not affect its water and dust resistance or functionality, which is somewhat expected.

However, I can't help but feel that such concerns should not be present in a phone that costs nearly $700. Especially since there are phones like the OnePlus 8T that have great build quality for the same price. speaking of OnePlus, one disgruntled support forum user said that he would return to OnePlus phones because he feels that Pixel phones have lost quality.

In our review of the Google Pixel 5, we found the new model to be a pretty decent Android device overall. The camera performance is perfect, but the chip performance is not so great. It also falls a bit short in terms of features, such as the 120 Hz refresh rate that the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE offers for the same price.

If the Pixel 5 were about $100 cheaper, it might be a little more attractive. However, Black Friday is often a good opportunity to get a Pixel phone at a bargain price, so keep an eye out for some Black Friday deals.