Pixel 4a Battery Update Reportedly Cuts Usable Charge By Over 40%, More Changes

Last month, Google released an unexpected Pixel 4a update which was related to undisclosed battery concerns, and as it turns out, the update apparently cuts usable charge by over 40%, along with some feature removals.

In early January, Google sent out a new Pixel 4a update which the company explained would “improve the stability of their battery’s performance” but came with the added caution that the update “may” lead to the battery lasting “for shorter periods between charges.” Google has offered free battery replacements to eligible Pixel 4a owners, as well as credits for the Google Store or even a cash payment of $50 to offset the inconvenience.

Since the update was released, Pixel 4a owners have run into drastic cuts to their battery life.

Some users say that where their Pixel 4a was lasting upwards of a full day, it now lasts less than 8 hours. For others, the situation is even worse, with many in the r/Pixel4a subreddit relaying their stories of using the device after the update was released.

Google has still not detailed why these changes were made, but it’s clearly rather important as the company has also since removed all previous Pixel 4a software builds that were released before the battery update.

Findings from Hector Martin, a developer at Asahi Linux, revealed that the update lowered the maximum charge voltage of the battery, and the impact of that has since been investigated by the folks over at Android Authority. This change moved the maximum voltage from 4.45V to 3.95V. While just a 0.5V drop, this cuts the usable charge of the battery by 44%, AA claims. That’s because the lower limit of the voltage range is 3.3V.

Other changes in the update include the removal of Adaptive Charging, a feature on Pixel devices which is designed to slow battery charging to help prolong battery health. Estimated charging time has also been removed, as Google hinted at (quote below). The update also removed the option to turn on the battery percentage in the status bar, but users who already had the setting turned on didn’t see a change. Some have noticed low battery percentages since installing the update, which may contribute to why the change was made.

Users of Impacted Devices may also notice other changes, like reduced charging performance or changes to how the battery-level indicator on your phone shows your battery capacity.

This report also brings out that Google marked this update as an “Emergency Maintenance Release,” a special build that doesn’t require as many certification steps. The reasoning for this is unclear as well.

Affected Pixel 4a owners can still reach out to Google to see if they’re eligible for a free battery replacement. Ultimately, though, this update certainly marks the point where upgrades should be considered. Pixel 4a stopped receiving regular software support in 2023.

More on Pixel: