Live data from Hacker News

Google nerfs Pixel 6a batteries following fire hazard

arstechnica.com

51–55 of 55 posts

Re: Google nerfs Pixel 6a batteries following fire hazard

#51
post #38

So here's a fun story on how Google completely ruined my Pixel 4a and will not help resolve it over the last 7 months. In January 2025, Google pushed an emergency Android update to Pixel 4 devices which completely killed the battery's life. They offered an extended warranty to get the battery replaced at any official Google repair center for free. They claimed a new battery would resolve the issue and your battery wo…

Your other option prior to your first visit was to load LineageOS, but that would also have resulted in a wipe.

It would have given you time, however, to find a technician with more experience with this model.

On the other hand, the battery problem was physically dangerous, and that should have some bearing.

Re: Google nerfs Pixel 6a batteries following fire hazard

#52
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

It’s okay, but the cash is pretty tricky to get full value from if you’re not on your toes. It goes through the “Payoneer” service. The Payoneer terms aren’t entirely clear, but seem to imply that you’ll get charged an annual fee after a year if you keep the account open but inactive. If you want the payment in non-USD, Payoneer takes a 2% cut on conversion fees - I figured I’d take the payment in USD, but neglected…

Not sure if it is different than mine but I use Payoneer to get payments through Fiverr, From my knowledge they don't really hold money but just transfer it to your available card. I have never been hit by a fee for inactive account (i've paused my gigs on Fiverr but not my Payoneer account for more than a year at this point)

The fees are quite real though, before I've moved to using BTC for payments i've been getting around 900~ while when i moved to BTC my payments went up to 1900~ thanks to no wire and skipping Fiverr's and Payoneer's cuts.

Re: Google nerfs Pixel 6a batteries following fire hazard

#53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s okay, but the cash is pretty tricky to get full value from if you’re not on your toes. It goes through the “Payoneer” service. The Payoneer terms aren’t entirely clear, but seem to imply that you’ll get charged an annual fee after a year if you keep the account open but inactive. If you want the payment in non-USD, Payoneer takes a 2% cut on conversion fees - I figured I’d take the payment in USD, but neglected…

Not sure if it is different than mine but I use Payoneer to get payments through Fiverr, From my knowledge they don't really hold money but just transfer it to your available card. I have never been hit by a fee for inactive account (i've paused my gigs on Fiverr but not my Payoneer account for more than a year at this point) The fees are quite real though, before I've moved to using BTC for payments i've been gettin…

From “Payoneer Fees”: https://www.payoneer.com/about/pricing/

> Annual account fee: This fee applies only to accounts that receive less than $2,000 USD (or equivalent) over a 12-month period. Customers who pay for an Annual Plan are not subject to this fee. 29.95 USD

Re: Google nerfs Pixel 6a batteries following fire hazard

#54
post #51
post #38

So here's a fun story on how Google completely ruined my Pixel 4a and will not help resolve it over the last 7 months. In January 2025, Google pushed an emergency Android update to Pixel 4 devices which completely killed the battery's life. They offered an extended warranty to get the battery replaced at any official Google repair center for free. They claimed a new battery would resolve the issue and your battery wo…

Your other option prior to your first visit was to load LineageOS, but that would also have resulted in a wipe. It would have given you time, however, to find a technician with more experience with this model. On the other hand, the battery problem was physically dangerous, and that should have some bearing.

Yep I almost did that first but decided against it because I didn't want to get stuck with no phone in case something went wrong with the process. At that time I was technically on-call for work too.

The store owner told me they serviced a bunch of 4a devices and had lots of experience. They were also suggested by Google as an official repair center with good reviews.

Re: Google nerfs Pixel 6a batteries following fire hazard

#55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Does the store credit have an expiration date?

Yes, 1 year
Post reply on HN