Google Pixel 4a gets an unexpected update: Lower battery life

Pixel 4aa well-regarded entry in Google’s budget phone lineup with good cameras and decent standard software was no longer due to receive any updates. This week it will receive a rather unusual variant – one that intends to reduce the stated battery life.

The Pixel 4a, released in the summer of 2020, was discontinued at the end of 2022. It received its last official software update in the summer of 2023, and then followed unexpected security update in November 2023. There were no updates throughout 2024. This week, 4a owners (and likely many former owners) will receive a new update along with an email titled “Changes Coming to Your Pixel 4a.”

The email talks about “an upcoming software update for your Pixel 4a that will impact the overall performance and stability of its battery.” The automatic software update to Android 13 “introduces new battery management features to improve your device’s stability” that will “reduce battery life and charging performance.”

Google goes into more detail on the support page about “Pixel 4a Battery Performance Program“, noting that only some “Affected Devices” will see a reduction in charging capacity and performance. Those who have such devices (determined by survey) have three options beyond just accepting responsibility: send your phone in for a free battery replacement, get paid $50 (or equivalent outside the US), or get $100 off a new Pixel phone from the Google Store. Owners of affected phones have one year from the scheduled software update on January 8, 2025 to select the “pacification option.”