Surveys show Google desperately needs to do much better with Pixel battery defects

Google’s mid-range Pixel phones have suffered from a litany of battery issues. The company issued updates to some Pixel 4a and Pixel 6a models that effectively reduced battery capacity in a bid to prevent overheating. This comes after some users reported device fires.

The issues haven’t ended here, as Google is now offering free battery replacements for some Pixel 7a models due to battery swelling. Will these issues affect the Pixel 9a? I have my reservations. Nevertheless, I recently wrote an article urging readers not to let Google off the hook for these issues. I also posted a poll asking whether Google has done a good job of addressing these defects. Here’s what you told us.

Do you think Google has done a good job addressing Pixel battery issues?

We posted this poll on our website, YouTube page, and Twitter account. Starting with our website, over 60% of respondents (63.2%) say Google has done a poor job of addressing these battery defects. It’s not hard to understand why people voted this way. The company didn’t even disclose that affected Pixel 4a models were specifically at risk of battery overheating, leaving this up to Australia’s consumer watchdog. The company also pulled refurbished Pixel 6a units from sale, but is only offering battery replacements for affected consumers.

Reader mickey.kurey has a theory about these issues after experiencing an overheating Pixel 6a:

My 4a screen broke out of nowhere months ago so I quickly upgraded to the 6a refurbished because it was cheap and same day it started overheating. I read something about the differences in the models and Idk why they haven’t put 2&2 together but all pixel-a models batteries are glued in not placed in like other models and that’s probably why they’re overheating. Glue isnt breathable and just holds the heat.

A few readers, like themorgans1887, also noted that their older flagship Pixels suffered from battery swelling:

My 6 pro’s battery swelled to the point it rendered the phone useless. Only one side of the screen remained attached. My wife now has the 8a. I’m worried

Meanwhile, almost a quarter of website respondents said there’s room for improvement. Finally, just 12.3% of surveyed readers said Google has done a good job. When you look at it from another angle, almost 90% of polled readers think Google needs to do a better job of addressing these defects.

Things are a little different when looking at our YouTube and Twitter polls. Comments on these platforms suggest some people (understandably) thought we were talking about battery life rather than actual defects, which might be reflected in these results.

Nevertheless, 51% of YouTube respondents and 40.5% of Twitter respondents felt Google had room for improvement. Meanwhile, 31% and 35.8% of polled users respectively felt that Google has done a poor job addressing these battery problems. Just 23.6% of surveyed YouTube viewers and 18% of polled Twitter users, respectively, thought Google was doing a good job.

In other words, over 75% of polled Twitter followers and over 80% of surveyed YouTube users think Google needs to improve its handling of battery issues. That’s particularly noteworthy, even if some of these respondents think we’re talking battery life rather than defects. So the ball is in the Pixel maker’s court.