Pixel 4a’s surprise battery update turns out to be a ‘death update’

The Google Pixel 4a had more the legendary budget Android smartphone gave users a Pixel camera experience at a fraction of the cost of a flagship. The Pixel 4a was launched in August 2020, and Google ended software support for the device in September 2023, so it’s fair to assume that most users have moved on to newer devices. Google recently released a surprise update Pixel 4a Battery Performance Softwareand it looks like the update isn’t sitting well with people still rocking the Pixel 4a in 2025.

What is Pixel 4a’s Battery Performance Program?

Google started rolling out Android 13 based update for Pixel 4a on January 8, 2025. This update appears to improve battery life on certain Pixel 4a devices, but the new battery management features also result in reduced battery life between charges. Google also warned that affected devices may experience poor download performance and even miscalibrated battery level indicators on their phones.

Google is offering a free battery replacement because the update has a significant impact on the user experience for these users. Affected users who skip the battery replacement can get $50 in compensation at the Google Store or $100 off their Pixel phone.

How does the update affect users?

It’s been two weeks since the update has started to spread and many Pixel 4a users are quite unhappy with the overall situation. For example, Redditor Last-In-One-360 explaining how the update made their phones unusable and reduced confidence in what was to come Pixel 9a such as unintended collateral damage.

Reddit user awwwww_heitgoes reflects the collective heartbeat of affected Pixel 4a users.

Redditor Terrible_Lawyer506 highlights how their experiences with the update. According to them, their Pixel 4a screen went from 100% to 2% in five hours with about 20 minutes of runtime.

Redditor Schnarf 1980 shows how the update leads to a somewhat erratic user experience, which is certainly not ideal or reliable.

To make matters worse, if you are eligible for a battery replacement under the Google program and choose to do so, Google may charge you to repair the deviceAlso, company policy dictates that all damages found be repaired. So, if your device has any other issues other than the battery, which we’d expect for a phone over four years old at this point, you can just get it. $270 plus tax quoted For a repaired replacement Pixel 4a.

What exactly was the problem and what did the update “fix”?

Users claims Google has been quite opaque about the actual problemcausing confusion and panic among those who want to downgrade the device to an older software version.

Redditor father notes that their Pixel 4a holds about a third of its previous battery capacity after a “death update.”

Since Google doesn’t clearly mention what the battery issue is, who specifically is affected, and what the update technically changes to fix it, it’s pretty risky to recommend anyone roll back to the old update. As a Redditor less worms notes that the update is well-intentioned but poorly communicated, which will only cause people to fear and avoid updates.

There are so many more reports that it would be impossible to highlight them all. There are many people still using Pixel 4a not so tech-savvy usersoften in their 50s, prefer the device’s no-nonsense, simple approach and its small size. So a forced update like this leaves them without many options for phones of the same specs.

People who have had their hands on the Pixel 4a are in a bit of a bind as phones keep getting bigger and bigger. The not-so-big phones still got expensive. So, finding a small, budget phone in 2025 will be quite difficult.

For budget options, you might want to consider waiting for the upcoming Pixel 9a, though that may not be possible with your current daily driver status. Pixel 8a ($499 on Amazon) is the next best choice. You can also get the Galaxy A35 5G ($359.99 at Amazon) and Moto G 5G ($179.99 at Amazon).

If you can stretch your budget, I’d recommend exploring devices like the Galaxy S25 ($859.99 at Amazon), slightly older Galaxy S24 ($859.99 at Amazon) if you want to get something discounted, the older ASUS Zenfone 10 ($614 on Amazon) a really small phone or even the Pixel 9 ($799 on Amazon) if you want to stay with Google.

If you’re willing to jump ship to the dark side, the iPhone 16 ($799 on Amazon) is also a great option (and so are its predecessors if you want something cheaper).

We’ve reached out to Google for comment on the Pixel 4a’s update fiasco and will keep you posted on their response.

Are you affected by Pixel 4a’s ‘death update’? How is your experience? How much did Google quote you for the repair? Let us know in the comments below!