Pixel 4a battery update due to overheating risk, per Australian 'recall' notice

https://9to5google.com/2025/03/10/pixel-4a-battery-recall/

by kotaKat • 1 year ago

27 15 1 year ago

Google terribly mishandled this problem. The problem they were trying to solve was never described except in the vaguest of terms. When I got the text and emails saying I had to pick one of three options and once picked, you couldn't change your mind, it didn't contain sufficient information to make an informed choice of the tradeoffs. The $100 store credit took three weeks to be approved -- which mine was just after the $100 discount on the Pixel 8a expired. I could have bought the 8a immediately instead of waiting three weeks.

It was such a sour experience, I'm doing something I never expected to do. I'm going to get an apple 16a and leave the android system after nearly 20 years.

FirmwareBurner• 1 year ago

Google terribly mishandled this problem

It will sink in when you think of Google as the ad company that it is, and their HW phone division is ran like some intern side project.

neilv• 1 year ago

If you're looking for a symbolic way to register disapproval of Google, an alternative is to install GrapheneOS.

Of course, Google would probably prefer that people go to GrapheneOS (where users currently are still a little at the mercy of Google) rather than to Apple (where that's an additional customer for the competition).

But you might find, as I did, that you also don't fully like how Apple treats customers.

So, GrapheneOS seemed to be the most practical compromise for me, right now.

lupire• 1 year ago

Apple has there own almost identical issue with an update that messed with batteries. Bouncing back and forth between them doesn't mean much. A punitive class action means something.

cnity• 1 year ago

Which issue was that? Wasn't it just that Apple prioritised battery health over performance? I always thought that fiasco was overblown. They could have been more transparent in the settings though.

Spunkie• 1 year ago

I was never even notified for my 4a and when I try to check it's eligibility it simply says my pixel 4a "is not eligible for a repair, cash payment, or discount." without any additional information.

Does this mean my pixel 4a battery was unaffected for some reason... or simply that the lawyers managed to weasel out of paying 100% of active pixel 4a owners back and my phone is still dangerous or degraded? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

richwater• 1 year ago

The Android (hardware) ecosystem just keeps getting laughably worse -- full of unforced errors. Except for price, why would anyone continue to roll the dice on this manufacturers?

mavhc2• 1 year ago

A 4.5 year old phone has battery problems? And they give you money for a phone you've probably replaced already? Seems like a great ecosystem

petargyurov• 1 year ago

Yup, currently charging my one for the 3rd time today (thank god I work from home). I am annoyed because that phone still had years left in it.

Thinking of getting the Nothing 3a when it's released here in the next couple of days.

fsdfsfasd• 1 year ago

Klaster_1• 1 year ago

Got my 50 bucks last week, a pleasant little something to partially cover battery replacement I paid a 100 EUR for after three years of use. I wish phone batteries were as simple to replace as in 00's. Maybe my next phone will be like that in several years, gonna keep my 4a meanwhile.

mavhc2• 1 year ago

I would have picked the 50 local currency units if they said the 100 was only a phone discount, not a total store discount, sigh

wlesieutre• 1 year ago

The iPhone 16 made battery replacements slightly easier, but that didn't translate to cheaper prices on battery replacements (they're $100 now).

You still need to heat up the adhesive to remove the back glass (at least you don't have to disassemble the entire phone out through the front anymore), and the new trick with the 16 is that once you're inside the battery is mounted with an adhesive that can be loosened by hooking up a 9V battery for 90 seconds.

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iPhone+16+Battery+Replacement/1... (iFixit's directions use a 5V power supply instead)

maxglute• 1 year ago

reminder to close your payoneer account, apparently they charge $30 per year if you have open account linked to a bank

can't wait for fallout of this drama next year

montroser• 1 year ago

It was dystopian comms:

"Congrats, we are rolling out battery stability improvements! You may have an appeasement of $50. Please note that your appeasement will require singing up for a third party service which costs $30/yr. Also please note that your particular appeasement has already been claimed by someone else. You're welcome!"

Uh, appeasement? For...what exactly? Oh, you bricked my phone because it might catch on fire? And somebody iterated through all the valid IMEI numbers and already claimed my $50? Okay, got it.

Pixel 4a battery update due to overheating risk, per Australian 'recall' notice

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