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Android Authority
6 days ago
- Android Authority
Google wants you to forget about its Pixel battery issues. Here's why you shouldn't
Several Google Pixel models have suffered significant battery issues over the past eight months. This has manifested in Pixel-A series, with phones catching fire or suffering from swollen batteries. But I can forgive you if you didn't know about it. Google has tried extremely hard to sweep this issue under the rug, preferring that it didn't exist and pretending it's not a big deal. However, I can't overstate enough why you really shouldn't let the company off the hook. Do you think Google has done a good job addressing Pixel battery issues? 0 votes Yes, I think so NaN % There's some room for improvement NaN % No, it's done a poor job NaN % Google's disappointing reaction to battery issues David Imel / Android Authority The issue officially started with the Pixel 4a in January 2025, when Google issued a mandatory update to some models out of nowhere. The company claimed this update was part of the curiously named 'Battery Performance Program.' This was interesting timing, as the phone hadn't been supported since 2023. Users also quickly found out that this update dramatically reduced battery life and charging speed. Google's initial statement only said that this update would 'improve the stability' of battery performance. At no point in the announcement post did it disclose that this update was actually released to reduce the risk of batteries overheating. It was Australia's consumer watchdog that first revealed the battery overheating risk in March 2025 — almost three months later. This is something you'd really want to know if you had a Pixel 4a. To Google's credit, it offered a free but optional battery replacement. The company also offered $50 cash or $100 in store credit as an alternative to the battery swap-out. Google didn't even disclose that some Pixel 4a units had a battery overheating risk. It turned out that the Pixel 4a wasn't alone, as the Pixel 6a also had battery issues. At least five Pixel 6a owners reported that their phones caught fire, with the earliest complaint dating back to at least December 2024. Google released a mandatory 'Battery Performance Program' update to affected models last month, which unsurprisingly reduced charging speed and battery capacity. The company actually acknowledged the 'risk of potential battery overheating' in its post announcing the update. It likely had no choice but to confirm the issue in light of the user complaints. Google once again offered free battery replacements, cash, or store credit. But again, the battery replacement is optional, and it didn't initiate a recall. Unfortunately, there's a chance the battery-nerfing update might not help in some situations. One Pixel 6a owner reported a fire after installing the update. If confirmed, this would demonstrate that Google isn't doing nearly enough and absolutely needs a mandatory battery replacement program or recall. The latest page in the Pixel 6a saga is that Google has reportedly pulled refurbished phones from sale on its website. It's entirely possible this move is unrelated to the battery issue (e.g., stock). But if Google's decision is indeed due to battery concerns, what does that say about the company's approach? At best, the company doesn't want to sell more potentially defective Pixel 6a units to consumers, but won't actually initiate a recall. At worst, Google thinks the Pixel 6a is safe enough to keep in your pocket but not safe enough to sit in a warehouse. Believe it or not, but the Pixel 7a suffers from issues too, as some users reported swollen batteries. Thankfully, Google did a solid job of announcing the issue. It confirmed 'unexpected battery swelling' and initiated a battery replacement program. Clearly, this isn't an issue that can be addressed with a 'Battery Performance Program' update. But this turn of events seems to be the exception, rather than the rule. Google apparently pulled refurbished Pixel 6a phones from its shelves, but what about customer devices? This issue might not end here, though. Google launched the Pixel 9a earlier this year but delayed the release due to an unspecified component issue. What exactly is the issue, though? The company expanded on this in an emailed response to our questions earlier this year: A passive component in Pixel 9a didn't meet our rigorous quality standards for device longevity and rather than ship it, we made the difficult decision to delay the on-shelf (sic) and take corrective action on the small number of affected units. In other words, Google didn't really identify the specific part in question. The company then compounded issues by announcing that its battery health assistance feature would be mandatory on the Pixel 9a, but optional on previously launched devices. Battery health assistance effectively builds on the foundation of previous 'Battery Performance Program' updates by gradually reducing a phone's battery capacity and charging speed in the name of long-term durability. It's not hard to put two and two together here in the absence of a proper explanation. This lack of transparency is deeply troubling. It would be a major breach of consumer trust if the company knowingly launched a phone with a defective battery or battery-related part and tried to sweep it under the rug. Consumers deserve transparency over Pixel battery woes Ryan Haines / Android Authority It's clear that Google hasn't adequately managed its Pixel battery issues well and is hoping you'll forget about it. This lack of transparency is bad PR, for one. Ignoring an issue or failing to adequately communicate the problem doesn't instill confidence in a company's products. More importantly, this could lead to more devices catching fire. But hey, at least you can get $100 store credit (or $50 cash) to make up for your burns. Google's overall handling of these issues also makes me think twice about buying or recommending a Pixel phone, and I'm not the only one. Colleague Rob Triggs previously opined that he could no longer recommend Pixel phones due to these issues. Sure, this issue hasn't affected Google's flagship devices. But the way it handled these issues on its mid-range phones doesn't inspire confidence that things will be better on its high-end devices. In any event, it's time for Google to step up and be far more transparent and proactive about its Pixel battery problems. Say what you will about Samsung, but the company did a much better job of addressing the Galaxy Note 7 saga. Follow
Android Authority
06-08-2025
- Android Authority
The Galaxy S20 Ultra is officially unsupported, but it just got one more update
David Imel / Android Authority TL;DR The Galaxy S20 Ultra has received a security update, a few months after Samsung officially pulled support for the device. This update only applies to the Verizon model for now, though. Samsung's 2020 flagship launched with the promise of four major OS upgrades and five years of security updates. The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra was released back in 2020 as the company's first Ultra phone. The phone officially became unsupported earlier this year, but Samsung has recently issued one more update. Verizon (via SammyGuru) has pushed out an update for the Galaxy S20 Ultra. The update has the version number TP1A.220624.014.G988USQSDHYG2 and brings the July 2025 security patches. This clearly isn't a huge update or OS release, but it should bring some peace of mind to S20 Ultra owners. It's unclear if/when this update will be available for other Galaxy S20 Ultra variants. However, I'm guessing Samsung won't restrict this release to Verizon. So our fingers are crossed for a wider release in the coming days. How important is a phone's update policy to you? 0 votes It's my main consideration when buying a phone NaN % It's one of several key considerations NaN % A lengthy policy is good to have but not a must NaN % It's not important to me at all NaN % This unexpected release comes months after Samsung pulled official support for the Galaxy S20 series. The phones launched with the promise of four major OS upgrades and five years of security patches, which was an impressive policy for the time. In fact, you only have to look at the Galaxy S20 Ultra's peers (e.g., OnePlus 8 Pro, Google Pixel 5) to realize that the company was on the cutting edge as far as official update pledges were concerned. You should probably get your Galaxy S20 Ultra's battery replaced if you intend to use the phone for a while longer. Otherwise, there's no shortage of great Android phones on the market if you're looking to upgrade. Follow
Android Authority
04-08-2025
- Android Authority
Microsoft's unreleased Surface Duo foldable with Windows is on sale, but good luck trying to buy it
David Imel / Android Authority TL;DR An unreleased prototype of Microsoft's dual-screen foldable phone, Surface Duo, was recently found listed online for sale. While Surface Duo ran on Android, the leaked prototype runs an unreleased version of the Windows Phone interface. Microsoft envisoned this as an intermediate between a regular phone and a Windows PC, but never realized due to the decline in Windows Phone's popularity. Microsoft persistently dabbled with mobile phones for almost the entirety of the 2010s — and for a couple of years after that, too. While its Windows Phone operating system garnered both appreciation and criticism, a project that was critiqued mainly was its category of folding devices, known as the Surface Duo. The Surface Duo was a folding phone, but unlike the Galaxy Z Fold devices, it came with two separate screens for running multiple applications side-by-side. The first generation (yes, there were more than one!) Surface Duo felt like a prototype and offered a jarring software experience full of bugs. The second generation came with slight upgrades, but felt outmoded by true foldables that were starting to take over the market. A third generation aimed to solve that, but it was cancelled before it could take form. Notably, both of the Surface Duo models that existed ran Android. But there was a third — actually, the very first — prototype designed to run Windows that never came to be. A few Windows-based Surface Duo prototypes were recently listed for sale on Goofish, a Chinese marketplace for second-hand products, and spotted by Windows Central. The said prototypes of the Microsoft Surface Duo apparently run a special version of the now-defunct Windows Phone interface with tiles for applications on one screen and tiles with functionality similar to Android's quick settings on the other. Windows Central proposes this prototype runs on 'Andromeda OS,' an operating system which was envisoned by Microsoft to work on pocket-sized alternatives to Windows PCs. However, it never truly saw the light of day, as Microsoft instead adopted Android as the more fitting OS for the Surface Duo. GooFish In the later years, Microsoft was also expected to bring a Windows-inspired skin to run atop the Android interface, but that was never delivered, as Microsoft decided to give up its plans. The model listed on the platform has a few noticeable differences from the first commercial version of Surface Duo. It has a monochrome camera to capture 3D footage for Holo Lens devices, a metallic frame, and a mechanism to charge the stylus wirelessly. The Surface Duo 1 lacked all of these features (including the camera!), and the likely reason was to reduce the weight of the hardware. GooFish However, there are various observable similarities, such as the 360-degree hinge that allows rotating screens both inwards and out, a glaring Windows logo on one of the panels, a squarish design, and thick bezels above and below the two screens. One of the many prototypes listed on GooFish also features a narrower shell as compared to the actual Surface Duo, suggesting it was one of the many iterations Microsoft experimented with before finalizing one. GooFish The Surface Duo, especially one with a truly folding display, could have carved a new category of products that would sit between phones and PCs. But Microsoft decided to axe the project entirely in 2023, a decision that CEO Satya Nadella later lamented in an interview later that year. Currently, the prototype is listed for a staggering price of ¥98,999 (roughly $13,730). At this price, it feels like a collector's edition and less like a product anyone would (willingly) buy — if they can get themselves to trust a less popular peer-to-peer selling platform. Follow
Android Authority
21-07-2025
- Android Authority
Google just forced some Pixel 4a holdouts to finally install their battery-nerfing update
David Imel / Android Authority TL;DR Google's been dealing with the fallout of bad batteries on the Pixel 4a and Pixel 6a. So far, that's involved updates that limit charging capacity after a certain number of cycles. While there was a trick to avoid that update on the Pixel 4a, Google seems to have closed the loophole. This year, Google has found itself forced to confront and deal with an awkward problem that's been casting a shadow across its otherwise largely well-received Pixel smartphone lineup. First we got the Pixel 4a Battery Performance Program in response to concerns of overheating batteries and device failure, and then we saw the exact same story play out for the Pixel 6a and its battery. Google's approach with both of these incidents has been multi-faceted, involving offers for repair or replacement, compensatory payouts, and perhaps most controversial of all, software updates that place a hard limit on battery performance. In order to prevent the old batteries in these phones from causing fires, Google delivered a software update that limits charging capacity and downgrades performance. While those restrictions aren't set to kick in until you hit a specific charging cycle threshold, and can go away after upgrading your Pixel with a new battery, some users decided to take a slightly different approach, and did everything they could to avoid that charge-limiting update in the first place. When it announced these updates, Google was clear that there's nothing optional about any of this. With the Pixel 4a, it described the forthcoming update as 'automatic,' adding 'mandatory' for the Pixel 6a. We also saw it remove past firmware downloads from its repository, making it that much more difficult to roll back. Apparently, there's been a trick. Lots of us might know how to enable Developer Options in Android, probably from an attempt to interact with the phone through the Android Debug Bridge (ADB), but have you ever looked around at all the other settings in there? One in particular lets you turn off the phone's ability to automatically install a downloaded update the next time the phone reboots. And as it happened, switching that off managed to stave off the battery-limiting update for the past few months. This week, however, disaster has struck. Over on Reddit, posts from users like crazed98camaro, salyosen, and gxstahr all tell a similar story (via 9to5Google): They disabled that option on their Pixel 4a phones, and had been running old software for months, but sometime in the past two days their devices finally updated. We're not sure exactly what technical method Google turned to in order to get around that developer option, but whatever it did, it looks like it works. That's going to be sad news for some Pixel 4a holdouts, but at least hopefully now a few of them might avoid a catastrophic battery failure. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
The Verge
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Verge
The creepy AI era is here
Would you like Siri more if it had a face? Ever since Elon Musk added a weird anime girlfriend to Grok, I've been wondering if there's a not-so-distant future where all of our AI assistants are much more clearly personified. Grok makes it feel deeply uncomfortable, but I'm not so sure it has to be that way: we're basically just talking about Cortana. This week on The Vergecast, we're talking all about AI, how powerful it can be in the home, and the uncomfortable feelings were getting talking to these new, more capable assistants. The Verge's Jennifer Pattison Tuohy joins the show to talk about her early tests of Alexa Plus, which is finally AI-powered and much more conversant as a result. Then, we talk about Grok's new AI waifu feature, which got mad at me for being married. We also have a special guest this week: Waveform cohost David Imel, who joins the show to talk Sony's surprise drop of the RX1R III, a $5,099.99 full-frame compact camera that people have been waiting a decade for. It's incredible small for the power it offers, but it makes some very strange tradeoffs along the way. Finally, the Thunder Round is back, sounds effects and all. Get ready. If you want to know more about the stories we talked about on the show, you can check out the links below.
