Google Pixel 4a gets update of death, Mr Clinton gets pill of life. long live Clinton cat 16 yrs old
This YouTube video discusses a software update for the Google Pixel 4A that significantly reduces battery performance. Key points include:
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Battery Performance Degradation: A mandatory Android 13 update (starting January 8th, 2025) for some Pixel 4A devices drastically reduces battery life and charging capabilities. This affects specific serial numbers, not all phones of that model.
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Google’s Response: Google offers appeasement options: $50-$100 credit, a Google hardware discount, or battery replacement (in select countries). However, the trade-in value offered by Google is significantly lower than the phone’s market value.
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Possible Design Flaw: The YouTuber suspects a design flaw in the Pixel 4A battery, evidenced by:
- The update being mandatory and sent in a specialized box (similar to those used for fire-risk devices).
- Battery replacement not fixing the problem.
- The targeting of specific serial numbers, suggesting a bad batch rather than age-related degradation.
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Comparison to Apple: The YouTuber contrasts Google’s handling of the situation with Apple’s past battery throttling updates. While Apple’s actions were also controversial, they had a technical justification (preventing crashes due to degraded batteries) and, crucially, did not offer a paltry compensation that is less than the phone’s resell value.
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Planned Obsolescence Debate: The video raises the question of planned obsolescence, but concludes that regardless of whether it’s intentional or due to incompetence, the result is the same: customers are left with significantly devalued phones. The core issue highlighted is Google’s poor communication and inadequate customer service.
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Uncertain Root Cause: The YouTuber speculates that Google might not fully understand the root cause of the battery issue, leading to inadequate solutions and the distribution of replacement batteries from the same potentially flawed batch.
In short, the video criticizes Google’s handling of a Pixel 4A battery issue, highlighting poor customer service, inadequate compensation, and the suspicion of a design flaw resulting in significantly diminished functionality for many users.