Surprise Google Pixel update spells bad news for some but free cash for others

One of our favourite Pixels from years gone by is the Pixel 4a from Google’s more budget A-series Pixel line. Released in 2020, the 4a impressed Express.co.uk on release thanks to its compact size, good performance and top tier camera that’s still great today.

Google ended software support for the Pixel 4a in 2023 as planned (newer Pixels get longer support), but this week owners of the phone have received emails directly from Google informing them that an unplanned software update is being pushed out to their phones from today - and it’s mostly bad news.

As first reported by Ars Technica, Google’s email states it will soon release “an upcoming software update for your Pixel 4a that will affect the overall performance and stability of its battery.”

“In the coming days your Pixel 4a will receive an automatic software update to Android 13 that introduces new battery management features to improve the stability of your device,” Google said. “This update will reduce your battery’s runtime and charging performance.”

It’s rare for a firm to push out a software update that is designed to shorten battery life and Google stops short of providing an explanation as to why it has decided to do this. But it’s possible the tech giant has noticed internal data or received reports of these older Pixel phones slowing down or dispelling charge at an unacceptable rate.

This sometimes happens on older smartphone hardware as it tries to keep up with the demands of modern software. The Pixel 4a will celebrate its fifth birthday in August this year.

On a page on its website titled ‘Pixel 4a battery performance programme’, Google explains the situation. It also goes one step further, acknowledging “Not all Pixel 4a devices will experience these changes, but we want to help affected users in this situation. Impacted Devices are eligible for an appeasement”.

If you still have a Pixel 4a, even if you’re not using it, you can type the IMEI number into a Google form to see if you have an “impacted device”. If you do, Google is offering you three options: either a free battery replacement, $50 USD or the local equivalent as compensation or $100 USD or the local equivalent for money off a new Pixel phone from Google’s online store.

You can start the process of checking your eligibility here.

Users have one year from today, 8 January 2025, to register and choose your appeasement. Battery replacements are only available in certain walk-in centres in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Singapore and India.