In 2020, almost five years ago, Google released the Pixel 4a. But despite being such an old device, the phone has been making headlines for the past few months, and not for good reasons. Over in Australia, a Pixel 4a recall process is now in effect.
The Pixel 4a recall
The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) has announced a recall of the Google Pixel 4a due to potential battery overheating issues. This recall affects units sold between the 1st of August 2020 and the 30th of September 2022. It also covers units sold through major retailers like JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman, and Officeworks.
The ACCC’s recall notice warns that the overheating poses a potential safety risk, which is why affected units are being pulled from the market. If you purchased a Pixel 4a in Australia during the affected period, contact your retailer to check if your unit is eligible for return. The ACCC’s website also offers a link to Google’s website, where users may be eligible for a refund.
The update snafu
Google caused the problem by rolling out a software update earlier this year. The update came as a surprise since the Pixel 4a was no longer covered under Google’s update policy. But what seemed like a welcome surprise quickly turned into a disaster. Google intended to improve battery stability with the update, but it did the opposite for many. However, Google also warned that it could shorten battery life as a potential side effect. Users quickly realized the problem was worse than expected—battery life dropped significantly, and some devices began overheating.
Google prevented users from rolling back to an earlier version of the software, making it worse. This left Pixel 4a owners with a phone that drained power too quickly, overheated, and, in some cases, became unusable. Some users even called for a lawsuit. They argued that Google had essentially sabotaged their devices with an irreversible update.
Google has already stopped providing major software updates for the Pixel 4a. Now, this battery issue has led to a recall, so it might be time to consider upgrading to a newer device. The Pixel 9 is the latest Pixel from Google, but if you don’t mind waiting a bit, the Pixel 9a will be a cheaper alternative.
