Google held back Pixel 4A batteries to avoid overheating risk

The mysterious battery performance update that Google rolled out for the Pixel 4A in January was released to “mitigate the risk of overheating,” according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). A recall notice published by the regulator’s product safety arm on March 7th, spotted by 9to5Google, warns Pixel 4A owners that “an overheating battery could pose a risk of fire and/or burns.”

Google hadn’t revealed its reasons for rolling out the mandatory Android 13 update for Pixel 4A devices prior to this clarification aside from mentioning that “certain Pixel 4A phones require a software update to improve the stability of their battery’s performance.” The company said that impacted devices “may last for shorter periods between charges” and experience reduced charging performance. 

Android Authority reports that the update reduced the maximum voltage of Pixel 4A batteries from 4.45 volts down to 3.95 volts, effectively reducing the phone’s charging capacity by more than 50 percent. The overheating issues don’t impact all Pixel 4A devices according to the ACCC, and Google’s firmware update should have “no impact on battery management” for unaffected models. 

The recall notice says that impacted phones were sold between August 2020 and September 2022 in Australia, but users can check Google’s website to see if their specific Pixel 4A model is affected. Google is offering a free battery replacement, $50 compensation or $100 credit for the official Google Store to Pixel 4A owners who are impacted by the issues.

Google was more forthcoming about overheating issues when it rolled out a similar battery update in January for Fitbit Versa 3 and Sense smartwatch models, which like the Pixel 4A, were originally launched in 2020.