The Pixel 4a, released in 2020, was Google’s budget-friendly phone offering. It was praised for its camera and clean Android experience. However, it seems like an upcoming software update to Android 13 will introduce battery management features that, instead of helping, will actually negatively impact the battery performance of this device in particular. This update is currently scheduled to begin its rollout on January 8th, 2025.
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 from 8 January 2025. For some devices (‘Impacted Devices’), the software update reduces available battery capacity and impacts charging performance. We want our customers to have the best possible experience with their products, so users of these Impacted Devices are eligible for an appeasement from Google. Not all Pixel 4a devices are impacted by the reduction in battery capacity and charging performance, therefore if your device is not impacted, the battery will perform the same as before and you will not be eligible for an appeasement.
In order to get ahead of the problem, Google is offering free battery replacements to those with affected units. Some Pixel 4a users have already been beta testing Android 13 on their devices and have reported that the update practically makes their device unusable. It’s possible that these reports are what has prompted Google to take advanced action.
This is a great move by Google to support Pixel 4a owners. Even thought the device is currently way past its support window, it’s good to see that the company will do right by those that purchased it and held on to it. The fact that Google is taking responsibility in advance for this issue and offering a solution to the affected users, definitely gives me more confidence in the Pixel brand.