Google is offering a battery repair program from Pixel 7a handsets that may be suffering from a battery swelling issue.
The known issue, which may cause the case to bulge and the battery to perform significantly less well, or not charge at all, will be taken care of for free at walk-in repair centres in quite a few countries – including the UK.
From a new support document, Google is sending users of the 2023 mid-range phone to an eligibility page, where they’ll go through some steps before getting them on board with the repair.
“Google has determined that certain Pixel 7a phones may experience unexpected battery swelling,” the company said.
“To ensure that our customers have the best possible experience with Google products, some Pixel 7a devices (‘Impacted Devices’) may be eligible for a battery replacement repair at no charge or another form of appeasement option from Google (options are limited by country and warranty status).”
If you aren’t able to mail it in or visit a walk-in repair centre, Google is offering financial compensation.
For devices that are in warranty you can get $456 back, converted to your local currency. If you’re out of warranty, you can get the value of £200 in cash or $300 to spend at the Google Store.
Opinion
Time for an upgrade? Some Google users might be hoping their Pixel 7a is starting to bulge, because those appeasement offers sound like a great opportunity to upgrade to a better handset. A Pixel 9a perhaps?
