Another Google Pixel 6a catches fire after battery-nerfing update

I just want a comeback of phones with swappable batteries.

- 600 euro, not so helpful. Thanks though.
- Didn't HMD make a couple of those too? Obv not the same country of origin but from what I've seen they're considerably cheaper
- Its 900$ where im at. I can get 3 phones for the same price. Terracube 2 apparently does too, but last time I had a Terracube, it failed pretty bad. Literally fell apart and no software updates at all.
As far as I know, this will be the case in the EU in 2027.
- That's for "easily replaceable" batteries, not necessarily swappable, as in pop off the cover and insert new battery.
  The new Fairphone 6, for example, requires a screw driver to open up the phone, and that would meet the legal requirements of the EU law.
Typing this on an samsung xcover 6 pro right now. Costs less than 200 used, has a removable battery, up to 1tb micro SD card support, and a headphone jack.
- Does it run lineage, because that is the only way I'll touch Samsung's abysmal OS ever again
- Seems like it has a 778G SoC too which would be pretty solid for emulation as well. That's an interesting option!

I just got rid of my Pixel 6a because it had one of the bad batteries. Tip to anyone taking advantage of the trade in rebate, DO NOT get the $150 Google Store credit and be like me thinking you can use it on the Google Fi Store to purchase a new Pixel. The $150 store credit is only towards the purchase of a Pixel phone via the Google Store. Take the $100 cash rebate option instead because it tells you once you choose either option, you cannot change it.

My hope was to get the Pixel 9a on my account for $249 (activation discount) on my account and then use the $150 store credit... nope.

My coworker has been fighting Google for months to get their cash rebate. So you're fucked regardless which option you take.
- Good to know, thanks. Now I'm not as annoyed as I was, lol.
- Reminds me of the pettiness during the aftermath of the class action because of the Nexus 6P battery problems. Google/Fi suddenly lost all records of my support tickets, my having purchased the phone at all, the warranty replacement they'd done, etc.
  Fortunately, I keep meticulous records and still had a phone that powered down at 60% battery, so recorded a video of it as evidence and got my payout. Severely tainted my impression of Google/Fi though. Neither the faulty hardware nor the shady practices are surprising at this point.
Have you tried not purchasing a Google phone? I heard this works extremely well.
Meanwhile they're getting full cash back in Australia from a recall, mine didn't even qualify for the battery rebate so I'm sitting here in uncertainty with a degraded battery. Never again.

Google is a horrible company. Stop buying their phones and using their services.

What other hardware supports open source like Graphene?
- I want a fairphone 4 with either e/OS or Ubuntu touch. It's still a little out of my price range though.
  I would love to run grapheneOS on my phone, but I'm not willing to pay Google to not use Android.
- Check out /e/ and iode. If you're looking for a phone with at least 5 years of support the only options are Pixel or Fairphone. Fairphone costs about 2x as much as Pixel for a phone with worst specs.
- supported device list in front of your face when you go to the calyx site
I'm enjoying Graphene quite a bit and I really like the cameras on the Pixels. Also I'm restricted because only certain phones are compatible with my Dexcom glucose monitor and Omnipod insulin pump. I really wish I had more options, lots of other great phones out there.
- Yo, from one type 1 to another, get yourself some xdrip to replace the dexcom app, its miles ahead and more configurable.
  https://github.com/NightscoutFoundation/xDrip
  And depending on which omnipod you got, and how technical you are, check out AndroidAPS if you want an open source closed-loop solution.
  https://androidaps.readthedocs.io/en/latest/
  If you got the omnipod dash you can use it directly with AndroidAPS via Bluetooth.
  I use both of these with dexcom G6 and an accu-chek Bluetooth insulin pump, and its amazing vs the commercial solutions.

I was going to opt for a battery replacement, but I called the local store that does the replacement, and they told me that it's common for the screen to break during the battery swap process. And if they break the screen, I would be on the hook for the cost to replace it, around $160. I don't know how that is even legal in the first place, but it certainly turned me off from wanting to let them change my battery. And mailing the phone in for a battery swap would leave me without a phone for weeks...

At least they were upfront about that issue.
I too don't understand why you would be responsible for THEM breaking the screen.
Imagine your mechanic breaks a part while changing your oil then says you're responsible for the cost of it.
- You've got a better mechanic than me I guess. If you bring in an old shitty car for repairs you can expect more than one thing is in bad shape.
Even if you mail it to Google, they will make you pay for the screen before they will do the swap. That's what happened with my 4a. I had them ship it back instead and took the cash.
- What do you mean? Did your phone already have damage to the screen, or they were making you preemptively pay in case the screen broke?

I have owned 3 pixels.

5a - bricked randomly 8 - screen failed within 6 months 6a - stuck in a bootloop, gave up on fixing it just before the battery issue made headlines

I gave them a fair shake. Never again.

The 8 had known screen issues, and they were fixed even out of warranty. After six months it would have been within warranty, so you definitely should have been able to get that fixed. I know, I had to have mine replaced too.
I've had a 4, 6, and 8. No issues. But I know that if I do have hardware issues, Google will address them like these screen and battery issues.
- During which time I have no phone.
  Not acceptable. Bought something else.
Before the pixel existed I owned a Google Nexus 5 4 which was manufactured by LG and to date that was the worst phone I've ever owned. I guess my point is it doesn't matter who is manufacturing the hardware; if Google is involved it's gonna be junk.
Edit: it was a 4 not a 5 but either way it was such an awful experience I've never bought another piece of Google hardware since
- I had a Nexus 5 (also LG) and it was the best I'd had for years. Ran lineageOS on it (maybe it was CyanogenMod still I can't remember) but that thing was the shit.
  I left it on top of my car once and ended up destroying it. Swapped the modem into an EU model (the modem and GPS module survived, all other components failed) and had basically a brand new phone afterwards.
- The Nexus 4 was a great phone in my opinion.
  Had it rooted and everything for about 6 years.
- Really? The Nexus 4 was my favorite device to date. I pushed mine to its limits, it was great. Even took a trip through the washing machine and still kept ticking.
- I don't agree. Many of the cheaper phones are pretty shit and barebones. I've had Samsung flagship phones for years, and they have never disappointed me. Friends and family have had the cheaper Samsung phones, and they have been pretty hit and miss. You just kinda get what you pay for. Wanna pay €200 for a phone? You get something that can barely turn on, that's it.
I had the 3a for three years, passed it on to my son who used it three more years. Bought a 6 after the 3a, used it for three years and passed it on to my son. I am typing this on my 9a. Never had any issues on any of those phones. Either I have been very lucky or you got two rotten apples.

Why would they make it worse

Due to the risk of battery fires, Google said that devices with more than 400 charge cycles could see their capacity and charging speed drastically reduced.
Apparently they design phones that'll last just over a year before self-igniting.
- More then 400 charge cycles? So like... All of them
- Does 400 charge cycles really amount to just over a year of use for most people? I’m assuming one cycle means a full power cycle, not just a top up.
  For reference (and I understand it’s a bit apples to oranges) I’ve had my iPhone 15 since Dec 2023 and charge it every night and it’s currently showing 125 charge cycles.
- and then gaslight them into own 7, 8, and 9.
To force you to change your battery (which is free), otherwise you will blame Google when it explodes after you ignored the warnings.
- More accurately, to attempt to avoid a battery fire for people who can't or won't replace the defective batteries.
Oh well they were forced to acknowledge a problem that needed a fix and what they did was they asked Gemini how do we fix this which Gemini had zero problems at all, not even an inconvenience, in giving them it's fix so that's what they went with without a single further thought employed in the matter
They really liked it when the response started with it's super easy

I got an extra 30% battery life after switching to GrapheneOS. I'm guessing whatever is saving my battery, would also bring down the load on the system.

I did notice my phone heats up much less after switching to GrapheneOS.

I've been runnnng GrapheneOS with charge capped at 80%. Phone has not emulated thermite.
I haven't found any discussion about the battery issues at GrapheneOS yet.
- Meaning you charge till 80% full, or at 80% max charging speed? just curious.
- I have kinda bad battery issues on graphene and have been having it even on my old pixel 5 (currently on pixel 8a).
  Could it be because I use google play services? Maybe I'll get a huge decrease in battery consumption if I cut this off. But I do need it for maps and stuff
Just here to confirm this comment from personal experience.
plan to buy a pixel just to put Graphene on. Which one do you have and any problems?
- I've got a 7 and works great
- I have no recommendations for versions. Depends in your case.
  Although I'll mention that some people don't like that Pixel by default doesn't include the bottom menu on the screen, and uses other swiping features on the screen to do the same thing.
  However in your system settings you can change the UI to gave the navigation menu at the bottom of the screen similar to Samsung.
- Graphene lists all the pixel models they support and for how long. https://grapheneos.org/faq#device-lifetime
  Finally had to ditch my 3a this month because Google is psychotic and it's too old for graphene or lineage. Sucks bc the phone still works great. I've temporarily got an 8a running graphene, and am loving it, but will be switching to a 9a shortly for non pertinent reasons. It is such a weird feeling of relief to be on a secure OS.

I have one of these phones. Google has reached out and I applied for the $$ to get a tradein, but google has yet to give me the $$ or contact me further. Its been a while too. Honestly, I got the 6a because it was going to be supported for a long time compared to other phones. This rubs me the wrong way.

Already received it here, did you follow the procedure on payoneer ? That took me about a week to get my money. Got a fairphone now instead 😎
Considering it is a Google phone their long term support is still crap compared to things like Fairphone or even iPhone.
But it sucks that this happens and I hope they contact you for a trade in. Rules are also changing so all phones need to have a minimum lifespan of 5 years or so
- Considering it is a Google phone their long term support is still crap compared to things like Fairphone or even iPhone.
  At least it beats Samsung, I'm not buying any product from them ever again

My battery sucks after this update. Once I get down to 30% it free falls.

And no licensed repair places near me have batteries in stock
I switched my 6a to GrapheneOS a few weeks ago and the battery lasts like twice as long, its unreal.
- i originally wanted to get pixel, after the 5A died from a fall, but i went with OP instead better battery life, dont really care about the photos that much.

These updates are fire!

They're going after GrapheneOS users!

My battery is lasting about 30% + longer with GrapheneOS. Plus my phone heats up less.
- I find that it heats up quite easily, maybe it's just that the pixel isn't super good. I'm on a 7a though

Look, Google, I know you're trying to compete with Samsung but this is a little too hot.

Note 7 lurking in the distance

Just a reminder if you have a 6a you can get ~100$ or battery replacement. Its a bit of a hassle but not to hard to fill our claim. I for my 100$ ordered a 7 and installed Graphene OS.

https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/16340779?hl=en
In Australia, one option is a cash refund for more than what I paid for the phone when new.
- Thanks for the tip, I thought it was $100 USD but just checked and I'm eligible for $452 USD for a 6a that was free when I purchased a 7pro... Insane
I submitted for $100 dollars, but haven't gotten any instructions on what to do. I read you're supposed to register for some payment system, but the Google instructions don't tell me how and what to do after.
- After checking you qualify it should have a link telling you to create an account ( payoneer, I'm in the US not sure about others). Filling out the forum for payoneer was a pain need bank info. I had to use chrome as Firefox would not load their forums properly. Also takes about a day for payoneer to confirm my account then if you filled our googles stuff payoneer just kinda knew and dropped the money in my account.

I replaced my battery in my pixel 6 late last year and I noticed my battery life took a shit recently. I thought I got a bad battery or something and was considering replacing it again

I think when your battery takes a shit, you should probably replace it.
- Or if it took shit recently you should check when was last software update.
- Unless a "battery takes a shit" update comes out around the same time your battery takes a shit

Dude. I just bought a used 6A last week.

I think, but 100% on this, that not all 6a's were affected.
Patch it to the latest update. If you get a notification about your battery then it's probably fucked.
- All 6s users hey a warning you might be affected. They give you a link you have to follow to check. Load the page, you're in your IMEI and it will confirm if you're affected

Put my IMEI into the link and it says I'm not eligible. Does this mean I'm in the clear? Should I still do something about my battery? I'd really rather not get another phone right now...

Your battery is not one of the defective ones, then.
- Nice. That's all I needed to hear.
I put my IMEI in and it said I was eligible. But then it gets stuck in an infinite loop of support links with no option out (at least when I selected to get a replacement battery). Edit: I got free of the loop, but the nearest place to take my phone into to get the battery replaced is 100 miles away!
I think I'm just going to get a new phone and move on. Not a Pixel though. Fuck this noise. My wife had a Pixel 5a and the motherboard fried itself after a couple of years. Google sent her a Pixel 6a replacement about 2 months later (long after we'd found her a non-Pixel replacement). So I upgraded to that replacement for in a 4a. But now this battery/fire bullshit? I'm done with their shitty products and their shitty support!

I was thinking about going with a pixel for my next device so that I could use graphene because I've used pixels in the past and they were fine but with all these battery issues I'm having serious second thoughts.

They are doing free battery replacements. So at least they're doing the right thing.
- The battery of my Pixel 6 started to bloat and leak last week. I contacted support. After a bit of back and forth where they asked me to provide proof of purchase and pictures of the phone, they sent me a brand new Pixel 6 and told me to just recycle the old one.
  I reported the issue on Tuesday, received the new phone on Friday. That's not bad support for a 4 year old device that's long out of warranty. I fully expected them to tell me to go F my self.

Maybe they should do a recall.

They already have. https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/16340779?hl=en#zippy=%2Chow-do-i-claim-my-support-option
- A battery exchange program is not quite the same thing as an actual product recall.

I still have an old Pixel 7 Pro lying around, which I had recently used to setup a second SIM. Every time I turned it on it immediately overheated for no fucking reason. Wasn't even connected to a charger.

Old? I have a 7a and i just bought it from Google…
Checks notes
Two years ago.
Shit. I guess that is old in phone years
Next you'll be saying people born in the eighties are old
Really? I've had a 7 pro since launch and it's still working great. The battery is definitely getting long in the tooth and the type c port doesn't hold a cable like it used to, but overall still a capable phone. The camera array is still pretty great too.

Oh shit I didn't hear about the 6a also being fucked.

I lost my 4a to their shenanigans, couldn't get it repaired and have now a Xcover 6 pro which I bought refurbished. Best modern phone: swappable battery, headphone jack, long software support, micro sd

4a didn't have swappable battery iirc.
- Yes, that is why i switched to the Xcover which has

Damn. Never knew batteries catch on fire when angry.

Glad I ended up ruining my 6A attempting to replace the battery and had to upgrade.

people still uses the 6A? it was hasty replacement for the defective 5A. thats why i went with OP, because every pixel after it sucked, because all they could see as improvement is the tensor chip.

I think they realized in time that rheyr planned obsolescence was gone to be too fucking obvious and chose to give out free money instead.