[ad_1]
Users of some Google LLC Pixel smartphones are complaining online that their phone batteries are swelling in what could be a design issue with the phones.
The problem is primarily reported by users of the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL phones, although some users report similar issues with their Pixel 4 and 4XL phones as well. In addition to reporting that their phones physically contort as the battery swells, users say that in some cases they are unable to charge their phones once this occurs.
The first report of a Pixel 3 bloat was featured on the Pixel Phone help forum on May 17 with roughly 100 more Pixel users since then. Several threads on Reddit also detail similar issues, including the Pixel 4 XL.
Google and other phone vendors seem to be responding to the problem in different ways depending on the phone. For Pixel 3 and 3 XL users, some have been charged for repairs as their phones were out of warranty. Most of the Pixel 4 and 4 XL users have apparently had their devices repaired, with a battery issue identified as the problem.
Oh wow … just found out why wireless charging stopped working on the Pixel 3 … look at the battery swelling that pushed the back cover.
This happened to me on several phones before, but not in many years.@madebygoogle Oh! pic.twitter.com/j4YftGQlWy
– Artem Russakovskii (@ArtemR) August 9, 2020
As The Next Web pointed out, the cause of the problem remains unclear, but a common thread is that the bloat appeared shortly after the wireless charging of the devices started to malfunction or stopped working altogether. That could be a chicken and egg issue though, as it’s unclear which came first – the wireless charger caused the battery issue, or battery issues that caused wireless charging issues. One suggestion is that the use of wireless charging and the associated heat could be accelerating the swelling, although that’s not a problem with other phones.
Battery bloat is not unheard of, but it is rare in newer phones. According to iFixit, battery swelling is most commonly associated with a chemical reaction in lithium-ion batteries that degrade over time, especially as batteries age, or may be the result of a technical or design issue. . The most famous example of a design issue was Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.’s Galaxy Note 7, which not only swelled but also had a tendency to catch fire before it was recalled in 2016.
All Pixel users experiencing the issue are advised to contact a Google Support Specialist. Android Central reported that users should receive a replacement device within a few days.
Photo: Google
Since you’re here …
Show your support for our mission with our one-click subscription to our YouTube channel (below). The more subscribers we have, the more YouTube will suggest relevant business and emerging technology content to you. Thank you!
Support our mission: >>>>>> SUBSCRIBE NOW >>>>>> to our YouTube channel.
… We would also like to tell you about our mission and how you can help us fulfill it. SiliconANGLE Media Inc.’s business model is based on the intrinsic value of content, not advertising. Unlike many online publications, we do not have a paywall or run banner ads, because we want to keep our journalism open, without influence or need to chase traffic.SiliconANGLE journalism, reporting and commentary, along with unscripted live video from our Silicon Valley studio and globe-trotting video crews at the cube – requires a lot of work, time and money. Keeping quality high requires the support of sponsors who are aligned with our vision of ad-free journalistic content.
If you like reports, video interviews and other ad-free content here, please take a moment to see a sample of the video content supported by our sponsors, tweet your supportand keep coming back to SiliconANGLE.
[ad_2]
