Google Pixel 4a Battery Performance Program

On January 6, 2024 Google announced they would be pushing a software update to Pixel 4a phones that would reduce battery performance for some users. Google stated that "The software update reduces available battery capacity and impacts charging performance." and "the battery may last for shorter periods between charges. Users of Impacted Devices may also notice other changes, like reduced charging performance or changes to how the battery-level indicator on your phone shows your battery capacity." They are offering 3 appeasement options for impacted users. A free battery replacement, $50, or a $100 discount for the purchase of another Pixel phone from the Google Store.

Issues with this program:

• This is a automatic update that you can not opt out of.
• The battery replacement must be done by an authorized repair shop to disable the performance reductions in the update. Users have reported getting their battery replaced at a local repair shop and still having their battery performance reduced.
• The $50 appeasement option uses the payment processor Payoneer who is charging a $3 processing fee to the users for receiving the $50 and have a $30/year fee that you will automatically be charged if you don't close your account after 12 months.
• The $100 discount is only valid on new full price Pixel phones and can not be stacked with any other deals or discounts.