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Pixel 4a Battery Problem: What’s Going On?

The Pixel 4a has been hit with what many are calling an “update of death,” leaving users frustrated over sudden battery performance issues. If you’re a Pixel 4a owner, you’ve probably noticed your phone doesn’t last as long as it used to — or maybe you’ve even started wondering if this is a bug or an intentional move by Google. A recent investigation sheds light on what’s happening and reveals that not all Pixel 4a units are affected. Here’s everything you need to know.


What’s Behind the Pixel 4a Battery Problem?

According to Hector Martin, a security hacker and lead developer on the Asahi Linux project, Google’s latest update for the Pixel 4a has drastically lowered the phone’s battery performance. The culprit? A change in how the phone charges its battery.

Previously, the Pixel 4a allowed the battery to charge up to a maximum of 4.44 volts. However, the new update limits this to just 3.95 volts. This seemingly small change has a big impact, as it reduces the battery’s capacity to store energy, meaning your phone will run out of power much faster.

Martin explains, “3.87V nominal lithium polymer batteries have a max voltage of 4.45V or thereabouts, so the original setting was not wrong. But now they’re suddenly being very conservative.” Simply put, the Pixel 4a used to charge closer to its safe maximum voltage, but the update now restricts this, leading to the performance issues users are experiencing.


The Problem Only Affects Some Pixel 4a Units

Interestingly, not all Pixel 4a devices are affected by this issue. Martin discovered that the problem only impacts phones with batteries from a specific manufacturer. The Pixel 4a uses batteries from two different suppliers — ATL and LSN.

  • ATL batteries (good): These appear to be unaffected by the update.
  • LSN batteries (bad): These are the ones seeing the drastic performance drop.

You can check which battery your Pixel 4a has by looking at the number next to the QR code on the battery. If the number is 8230015901, your battery is made by ATL and is fine. If it’s 8230020501, your battery is from LSN and might be causing the issue. If you’re replacing your battery, Martin advises ensuring you get one from ATL.


What’s Next?

The Pixel 4a battery issue raises some serious questions about whether this was an intentional move by Google to extend battery longevity or simply a mistake. Either way, it’s clear that the update has left many users dealing with frustrating performance declines.

If you’re experiencing this issue and have an LSN battery, you might want to consider replacing it with an ATL battery. While this isn’t an ideal solution, it may be the best way to restore your phone’s performance for now.

For more details, check out Hector Martin’s investigation, or learn more about the manufacturers behind these batteries: ATL and LSN.

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