Several users on Reddit owners of Google Pixel 4a They reported that their smartphone has forcedly updated in the past few hours, even on those units that had avoided proceeding with the corrective update for battery management. It is not a random choice or an error, but of a desired and conscious decision by the same Googlewhich puts security in the first place.
But let’s do some clarity: last January Google He had released a software update for Google Pixel 4a which aimed to prevent potential overheating and battery damage. Although the company had released few statements by leaving users confused, the update ended up drastically reducing the autonomy of the device and slowing down the charging speed, precisely for safety reasons.
Second Google different units of Pixel 4a In fact, they could face serious battery problems, which in some cases could end up inflating or, in the worst hypothesis, to explode, causing a serious risk to the health of owners. The choice to release a corrective update for the smartphone was then accompanied by several formal investigations by some authorities, including the Australian one, which have come to insert the device in a list of potentially at risk products, so much so as to suggest a call.
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Don’t you want to install the update? Google thinks about it
From that moment, several owners of Google Pixel 4a They attempted to get around the installation of the corrective software by blocking automatic updates, or remaining stopped at a previous version of Android. Apparently this strategy is no longer enough, since Google has decided to intervene directly distributing forcedly The “defensive” update, making it compulsory installation also on the devices left behind.
Several posts on Reddit confirm that the update has been automatically installed on the offending devices, without any choice by the user. The point is that the price to pay for this corrective update is a tangible drop in the experience of daily use: in fact, there is talk of a reduction in battery autonomy of over 40%, forcing owners of Google Pixel 4a to recharge your smartphone after a few hours of use.
Online reactions did not wait: several users expressed frustration for the decision of Googleaccusing the company of having deprived consumers of freedom to choose how to manage their devices, even in the face of a real risk. Others report that the assistance program set up by the Mountain View giant, which provides for free replacement of the battery in some countries (but not Italy) or economic compensation for the “discomfort”, is not very transparent or in any case uncomfortable for most of the users.
Who still owns a Google Pixel 4a It is therefore forced between having to accept an update that penalizes the autonomy or purchase of a new smartphone. Googlefor its part, continues to reiterate that safety comes first and preferred the hard line, even if this decision was not free from criticism by its audience.
