Another Pixel 6a Catches Fire Despite Google's Battery Fix
The battery manufacturing issues with Pixel 6a handsets are well-known and documented and this point, and Google has issued software updates for several models that clamp down on battery life and/or charging speed, in a bid for safety. Unfortunately, in this recently documented case, even the last software update didn't help poor Reddit user "footymanageraddict" (Footy) who had their Pixel 6a light up while charging on a nightstand.
Footy said the phone was charging off a Steam Deck charger (45W output) during the night when they heard a loud pop and inhaled a terrible smell. They managed to grab the cable and yank the phone to the floor, but even still the bedsheets caught fire, the fascia of a floor AC unit was damaged, and presumably the floor itself got a bit toasty. Footy confirmed that the phone was running the latest software update.
For further context, Google has offered Google Store credit or a free battery replacement for Pixel 6a owners, but Footy said they hadn't made use of that yet because there aren't Google walk-in repair options available in their country. They'd have to mail the phone in to Google and wait an indeterminate amount of time to get it back. Given this statement, the usage of centimeters as measurement, the AGV sticker on the case, and their love for Football Manager games, we'd hazard a guess that Footy's somewhere in Europe, where Google has very little retail presence. I checked Google's repair and warranty website myself in Portugal, and encountered the same situation.
The Pixel 6a software update Google published in early July cut down significantly on battery life. The company stated that handsets with over 400 battery cycles were affected, and had earlier published a similar update for the Pixel 4a, for the same reasons. Whichever entity Google is using for its Pixel QA, it definitely needs to step up their game. Individual data points aren't worth a lot, but just around my personal circle, one months-old Pixel 7 Pro has a bulging battery, and a Pixel 8a is shutting off randomly, almost assuredly due to the battery. As for myself, I bought and eventually returned a Pixel 8 due to major issues with the camera, occasionally excessive heat, and unpredictable battery life.
The comments in the Reddit post in question also highlight the relative lack of public awareness for these situations. While one user said they got an email about a Pixel recall, they said it came from Amazon, not Google. Another person said they were made aware of this situation almost by accident. Thankfully, the Australian consumer watchdog entity has issued an alert about the problem, and these repeated reports are picking up steam in the news everywhere. There's no telling if the situation is so bad that it could warrant a flight ban like what happened with the Samsung Note 7, but at this point it wouldn't be wholly unexpected either. These recurring reports are also poor optics in the face of the impending launch of the Pixel 10. Google would do well to take more affirmative action to handle these cases.
