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Pixel 4a Battery Performance Program: Difference between revisions

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== References ==
== References ==
<references />
[[Category:Incidents]]

Latest revision as of 20:38, 18 January 2025

Quick Introduction & Background[edit | edit source]

The Google Pixel 4a is an Android smartphone designed, developed and marketed by Google. It was released on August 20, 2020 and reached its end of support on August 5, 2022.[1] On January 6, 2025, Google announced its Pixel 4a Battery Performance Program to users:

"Google has determined that certain Pixel 4a phones require a software update to improve the stability of their battery’s performance. An automatic update to Android 13 will roll out to all Pixel 4a devices starting January 8, 2025. For some devices (“Impacted Devices”), the software update reduces available battery capacity and impacts charging performance. [...] users of these Impacted Devices are eligible for an appeasement from Google."[2]

Compensation[edit | edit source]

Google has asked users to provide the IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number of their Pixel 4a to determine whether their device is an "Impacted Device".[3] If the user's device is an "Impacted Device", they may choose one of the following:

  • Free battery replacement (only available in: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Singapore, and India)
  • $100 USD (or local equivalent) discount code applicable towards the purchase of another Pixel phone on the Google Store (unavailable in certain countries)
  • $50 USD (or local equivalent)[2]
    • The money is to be paid out through Payoneer, which may charge the user a fee of 29.95 USD if 12 months pass without receiving 2,000.00 USD (or equivalent) in payments.[4]

Compensation will be unavailable after January 6, 2026.[2]

Editing of initial announcement[edit | edit source]

By January 15, 2025 the following edit had been inserted into the original January 6 announcement:

"Note: Carefully select your appeasement option as after you choose, you can't change it. You may have statutory rights available to you under laws of the country where you purchased the device. If available to you, you may alternatively make a claim pursuant to those."[5]

Community Reaction[edit | edit source]

Many users expressed discontent with being unable to reject the software update. Some noted the situation's similarities to the Apple iPhone's "batterygate" scandal in 2017[6], a case in which a class action lawsuit was filed for alleged planned obsolescence.[7] Google was criticized for being vague on what constitutes an "Impacted Device" and why "Impacted Devices" needed to take a cut to battery and charging performance. Other users praised Google for being upfront and offering compensation.[8]

In a Reddit poll posted on the r/Pixel4a subreddit, 170 out 212 respondents stated that their device had been identified as an "Impacted Device" by Google.[9]

Aftermath of Software Update[edit | edit source]

Users with "Impacted Devices" who have received the update have reported severely decreased battery capacity and other performance issues.

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ https://endoflife.date/pixel
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/15701861 Mirror, via the Wayback Machine: https://web.archive.org/web/20250107002112/https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/15701861
  3. ↑ https://support.google.com/pixelphone/workflow/15642495 (unavailable after January 6, 2026) https://www.theverge.com/2025/1/7/24338566/google-pixel-4a-battery-stability-replacement-reduced-capacity
  4. ↑ https://payoneer.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/43738/~/annual-account-fee
  5. ↑ January 7, 2025, via the Wayback Machine: https://web.archive.org/web/20250107002112/https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/15701861 January 15, 2025, via the Wayback Machine: https://web.archive.org/web/20250115045948/https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/15701861
  6. ↑ https://www.theverge.com/2025/1/7/24338566/google-pixel-4a-battery-stability-replacement-reduced-capacity
  7. ↑ https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/6/24028162/apple-batterygate-payments-issued-class-action-lawsuit
  8. ↑ https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/01/good-news-bad-news-pixel-4a-is-getting-an-update-but-it-reduces-battery-life/
  9. ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/Pixel4a/comments/1hvmggd/pixel_4a_battery_update_google_says_some_phones/
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