At least for one device, the battery problems that have plagued some Pixel phones may be ending – but the fix is coming at a price.
According to Alex Moriconi, communications manager at Google (Pixel phones), Google will soon release an update that will purposefully limit the battery capacity of some Pixel 6a phones, hopefully also limiting issues with overheating.
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In an emailed statement, Moriconi said, “A subset of Pixel 6A phones will require a mandatory software update to reduce the risk of potential battery overheating.” He went on to explain that the update will reduce the device’s battery capacity and charging performance after 400 charge cycles.
When asked why only a “subset” of 6a devices were seemingly affected by this issue, Google didn’t offer any details.
The issues weren’t rampant by any means, but I found several different reports from users saying their 6a devices caught on fire. There are almost certainly more reports than the ones publicly posted (I found plenty of reports of overheating), and given that Google is also having battery issues on other phones, it makes sense why it’s taking action.
Google will contact affected customers next month. The update will be mandatory for those users.
When the device debuted in 2022, the battery wasn’t a problem. ZDNET’s review said the phone had “more than enough power to get through a full day or use” and added that “battery life is a non-issue on the Pixel 6a.”
This announcement comes only about a month after Google said it was replacing some Pixel 7a phones for free due to battery swelling issues. Google did the same with the 4a several years ago.
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At the end of last year, Google debuted a feature that lets you limit your phone’s battery to an 80% charge (Apple did the same). Due to the nature of lithium-ion batteries, the maximum charge slowly degrades over time. Limiting that charge from the onset actually prolongs battery life in the long run.
If your Pixel has been having issues, here are eight settings you can tweak to help improve things.
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