What you need to know
- Google is preparing to release a new software update for older Pixel 4a models this week.
- The Android 13 update will bring new battery management features to the Pixel 4a phone.
- However, not all Pixel 4a models support the update. So, Google offers several options to pacify such phones.
The Google Pixel 4a phone, which will soon turn five years old, will receive another update from the company as part of its battery performance improvement program.
This is supposed to be an automatic update to Android 13. Pixel 4a phones that will begin rolling out to mobile phones starting January 8th, according to a recent Pixel Phone release. community message (by using 9to5Google).
The new update aims to “improve the stability” of the battery performance of Pixel 4a phones as it includes new battery management features. However, for some phones, the update is believed to reduce “available battery capacity” and impact “charging performance.”
Affected devices, as the company calls them, will be eligible for pacification. Google provides support page check your devices for compliance with the pacification criteria. If your Pixel 4a falls under this category, you can opt for a free battery replacement by going to the company’s registration page.
“Battery replacement is available at repair centers in the US, Canada, UK, Germany, Singapore and India. Repair by mail is also available to customers in the US.” Users should remember that even in these regions, batteries can only be replaced until they run out.
Suppose free replacement is not a convenient option for users. In this case, they can either choose to use the Google hardware discount code for another Pixel phone purchase or continue with the $50 payment.
Eligible Pixel 4a users are allowed to choose any of these appeasement options from the day of implementation (January 8) until January 6, 2025.
Meanwhile, Pixel 4a users can manually download the update to their devices, or the software update will be downloaded automatically once the software is released—provided the device is sufficiently charged and connected to the internet.
It’s good to see that Google is still taking care of the Pixel 4a, which launched in 2020, with a new battery performance program. The calming benefits also seem to be a plus for users. The software update released this week will not affect other Pixel phone models, such as Pixel 4a 5GFor example.