It seems Google is about to difficulty a significant replace to the Pixel 6a mid-range telephone that might properly adversely have an effect on its battery life.
Google has posted information of a Pixel 6a Battery Efficiency Program to its help pages, and it appears worryingly acquainted.
Pixel 6a battery replace
The publish outlines a “necessary software program replace to scale back the danger of potential battery overheating” for sure Pixel 6a handsets, which can start rolling out on 8 July 8 2025 (that’s subsequent week).
Whereas the replace will probably be pushed out to all Pixel 6a gadgets, solely these affected gadgets working explicit parts will obtain what Google is asking “battery-management options”.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
All of us like new options, after all, however that’s a fairly optimistic spin to placed on an replace that can actively hamper sure handsets, albeit within the identify of security. It appears this obligatory replace will serve to scale back battery capability and charging efficiency after the battery reaches 400 cost cycles.
Google can also be providing a variety help choices for affected Pixel 6a customers, which could entail a restore without charge to you, a money fee, or a Google Retailer {hardware} low cost credit score, relying on location and guarantee standing.
The corporate has even pre-empted these hands-on tech sorts with a thoughts to flashing their trusty Pixel 6as with unaffected firmware. As noticed by Droid Life, Google has deleted all Pixel 6a firmware pictures from its secure launch pages, in addition to any beta pages.
Pixel 4a: a warning from (very latest) historical past
Following well-documented battery overheating points with some Pixel 4a handsets again in March, Google issued an identical ‘repair’ that served to dramatically cut back the battery capability of sure Pixel 4a fashions.
As famous above, we’ve seen this from Google earlier than – and fairly just lately at that.
Foundry
In that case, it appears any batterie from vendor Lishen have been defective, and wanted to be dropped from 4.45V to three.95V to stop overheating. Some customers reported massively accelerated battery drain in consequence, with capability dropping by a staggering 56%.
Google’s reporting of this overheating difficulty even prompted the Australian Competitors & Shopper Fee to recall the 2020 mid-ranger.
Suffice to say, this new measure will probably serve to drop the battery lifetime of affected Pixel 6a handsets from “stable” (in our unique reviewer’s phrases) to “utter rubbish” (in my very own extremely speculative phrases). With the spectacular Pixel 9a now right here, it would lastly be time for that improve.