Google nerfs Pixel 6a batteries following fire hazard • Hacker News Board

Re: Google nerfs Pixel 6a batteries following fire hazard

#21

Post by asadotzler » Fri, Jul 11, 2025, 9:20 PM UTC

dmitrygr wrote: post #7

homebrewer wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It takes about five seconds after a new phone is released for Chinese factories to design and start selling all sorts of accessories, including batteries. High quality ones too. The average consumer needs to be able to swap it without doing deep surgery on the phone, and that's on the phone's manufacturer.

The same factories that made the current battery that is a fire risk. yes. or maybe different ones, with no vetting for how dangerous their batteries are.

some goal post moving going on here.

Re: Google nerfs Pixel 6a batteries following fire hazard

#22

Post by dmitrygr » Fri, Jul 11, 2025, 9:21 PM UTC

asadotzler wrote: post #21

dmitrygr wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The same factories that made the current battery that is a fire risk. yes. or maybe different ones, with no vetting for how dangerous their batteries are.

some goal post moving going on here.

Goalposts have always been the same: pocket/table/house not on fire

Re: Google nerfs Pixel 6a batteries following fire hazard

#23

Post by pan69 » Fri, Jul 11, 2025, 9:23 PM UTC

> The new July Android update adds "battery management features" that will make the phone unusable.

I didn't get from the article how the update will make the phone unsable.

Re: Google nerfs Pixel 6a batteries following fire hazard

#24

Post by ryao » Fri, Jul 11, 2025, 9:27 PM UTC

giingyui wrote: post #14

ryao wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My recollection is different. The batteries were not defective. They simply got old in terms of cycle life and once they were old enough, they could not support the peak current needed by the phones causing crashes. Apple shipped an iOS update that throttled the CPU frequencies of phones with old batteries and called it a stability update without explaining anything. Phones stopped crashing, but started to become slo…

> “We found that a small number of iPhone 6S devices made in September and October 2015 contained a battery component that was exposed to controlled ambient air longer than it should have been before being assembled into battery packs. As a result, these batteries degrade faster than a normal battery and cause unexpected shutdowns to occur. It’s important to note, this is not a safety issue.” Seems a defect to me.

I had forgotten about those, since they had not been relevant to the controversy at the time. The controversy had applied to nearly all iPhones at the time, not just the small number of iPhone 6s devices with batteries that degraded prematurely due a manufacturing issue. The only ones that were exempt were the oldest iPhones that did not receive iOS updates anymore such that they never received an update that throttled the CPU when the battery was degraded. Had Apple given users documentation on its throttling patch and visibility into battery health upfront, there would never have been any controversy.

The current issue affecting Google Pixel 6a phones is a safety defect, which is quite different than Apple’s throttling controversy. It has more in common with Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7.

Re: Google nerfs Pixel 6a batteries following fire hazard

#25

Post by lysace » Fri, Jul 11, 2025, 9:28 PM UTC

I get nervous when I see videos of people buying random Li-Ion/Po-battery powered crap from Teemu etc.

My personal policy for buying anything with such a battery: the seller must have a meaningful presence in my country and sell for at least like $10M/year.

Re: Google nerfs Pixel 6a batteries following fire hazard

#26

Post by luckylion » Fri, Jul 11, 2025, 9:32 PM UTC

gruez wrote: post #19

luckylion wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, while I liked the pixel 4a, I just upgraded to a 7a because of this nonsense (thankfully I did not go with a 6a!) If they come for the 7a next year, I won't choose a pixel again either. Sure, I could send it in for a battery replacement. and not have a phone for a week or two, and get my phone back or maybe not.

>Sure, I could send it in for a battery replacement. and not have a phone for a week or two, and get my phone back or maybe not. There's walk-in replacements in select countries: >Starting July 21, 2025 battery replacement will be available: >At walk-in repair centers in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Singapore, Japan, and India. >[...] Additional battery replacement capability is expected in Jap…

Yes, I'm aware. I checked when they killed the pixel4: there's no shop close to me.

I wouldn't spend half a day to get to an authorized partner and back and have it repaired, it's not worth that much.

Re: Google nerfs Pixel 6a batteries following fire hazard

#27

Post by luckylion » Fri, Jul 11, 2025, 9:40 PM UTC

dmitrygr wrote: post #22

asadotzler wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

some goal post moving going on here.

Goalposts have always been the same: pocket/table/house not on fire

The same factories you wouldn't trust with the replacement also make the originals. So you wouldn't buy a phone at all?

Re: Google nerfs Pixel 6a batteries following fire hazard

#28

Post by mook » Fri, Jul 11, 2025, 9:40 PM UTC

xnx wrote: post #11

> Pixel 6a owners can get $100 in cash or $150 in store credit. Alternatively, Google offers a free battery replacement with the same limits on phone condition. This seems very fair

From the article comments, that only applies if your phone is pristine (I guess because opening the phone stresses the screen, so if the screen has any damage it'll exacerbate the problem). Also linked in the article, getting the cash may be unreasonably difficult even in cases when they have a credit card on file that bought the phone.

Re: Google nerfs Pixel 6a batteries following fire hazard

#29

Post by dmitrygr » Fri, Jul 11, 2025, 9:45 PM UTC

luckylion wrote: post #27

dmitrygr wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Goalposts have always been the same: pocket/table/house not on fire

The same factories you wouldn't trust with the replacement also make the originals. So you wouldn't buy a phone at all?

Because a deep-pocketed company can be sued to recover the cost of my house - Samsung, Google, or Apple, and they take all possible precautions to make sure this isn't needed. Not going to successfully sue "big luck bright shine battery company of shenzhen"

Re: Google nerfs Pixel 6a batteries following fire hazard

#30

Post by Fripplebubby » Fri, Jul 11, 2025, 9:46 PM UTC

mook wrote: post #28

xnx wrote: post #11

> Pixel 6a owners can get $100 in cash or $150 in store credit. Alternatively, Google offers a free battery replacement with the same limits on phone condition. This seems very fair

From the article comments, that only applies if your phone is pristine (I guess because opening the phone stresses the screen, so if the screen has any damage it'll exacerbate the problem). Also linked in the article, getting the cash may be unreasonably difficult even in cases when they have a credit card on file that bought the phone.

I just filled it out for store credit, and it didn't matter at all the condition of my phone (it's in horrible shape), I just put in the IMEI number and that was that. It could be different for cash, though.