Editing Talk:Pixel 4a Battery Performance Program (section)

==22/01/25 Some more anon considerations==
I wasn't aware of the "Frequently asked questions" at the bottom of "https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/15701861", actually, I'm pretty sure it wasn't there at first but looking at the internet archive page of the 7th january, it has always been there, you also mentioned missing it in a reddit comment (in fact, that's how I found out about it), very very odd.<br>
Anyways, I found a couple of things here interesting<br>
1. I haven’t had any issues with my Pixel 4a. Can I take it on a plane<br>
...imo very very strange to have this question there at all<br>
2. My Pixel 4a is working normally. Do I need to stop using it? You do not need to stop using your Pixel 4a. Your device will receive the software update from January 8, 2025, or you can manually download the update.<br>
it's as if they are implying you shouldn't stop using it, because your device will receive the software update... so the software update makes it safe to use? the way it's worded doesn't strictly imply that... but then why mention the update? what if I'm running a custom rom and will not receive the update? this part is also very strange.<br>
3. If an Impacted Device claims an appeasement other than a battery replacement, that device will not qualify for future mail-in repair service but can still receive other non-mail in repair services where available.<br>
So, if you have an impacted device and live in a country where mail-in battery replacement isn't an option, and non-mail in authorized repair centers don't exist (e.g. Italy), Google will salt the wound by refusing to offer future out of warranty paid repairs for your phone.<br>
This means that if I now get my battery replaced by a random local repair shop, or replace it myself with the iFixit kit (keep in mind: these are the only options I have here in Italy), and in two years my screen breaks and I want to have it fixed by Google, (paying for it, of course), nope, no oem repair service for you because you happen to live in a country where an impacted device cannot be "repaired properly by us", hehe, sorry<br>
I remember that example Louis often gave about apple voiding warranty on a macbook's screen or something because "an aftermarket crucial ssd was installed", you know where the difference is? Apple was at least still willing to repair that macbook if you paid for it, and they gave you the option to replace the ssd themselves in the first place, Google is worse than apple on so many levels here.<br>
And that makes me wonder... why exactly isn't mail in battery repair an option here in italy? oh yeah, cause if I enter the imei of my impacted device on the repair thingy I get a weird error that tells me to contact support which will in turn deny any repair, but you know what? So far there's a little detail I didn't mention here up until now: after I complained about my previous 4a's battery having swollen (the screen started to unglue itself and push upwards, thought that was the cause, in the end turns out it was fine but they agreed with me) they decided to give me a brand new refurbished unit in the end, it has 4 months of warranty on it and you know what? I can request all sorts of repairs for it, EVEN TO THE BATTERY, which prompts me with a mail-in option... just fine<br>
so... they of course accept mail ins for battery repair... but if your phone is impacted they don't... in the US they do, because they send you a "defective battery" box for it...<br>
any way I look at this, nah, there's no way this isn't for safety reasons, if that last part isn't proof of this, I don't know what is.<br>
oh I was gonna hit "save changes" but then... something clicked... phones that had their batteries replaced at a local non authorized repair center or by yourself won't be eligible for future paid repairs because... because at that point they have no way of knowing the battery inside your phone isn't an explosive one that will cause trouble shipping in a regular box, wouldn't that explaination make total sense?, that's it, i'm turning crazy.<br>
-Same day anon update-<br>
I wanted to grab a screenshot of that error that previously prompted me to contact google support when entering the imei number of my previous (impacted) 4a on the repair wizard thingy, and... I don't get an error any more, the wizard now just works, says my warranty is expired and lists me the usual repair options... including a battery replacement for 81€ (which by the way has a little checkbox that says: I declare my phone isn't emitting smoke or sparks, so there's nothing preventing me from shipping them a phone with a swollen battery either it seems, doesn't mention that at all, it's fine as long as it's not currently exploding, lol)<br>
this does two things:<br>
1. turn part of what I wrote earlier from a "gotcha, it's definitely a security thing" into a bunch of nonsense/misinformation (sorry for wasting your time I guess, maybe I should've just deleted that part)<br>
2. make the situation even weirder, why do americans need the defective battery box to ship the phone to google, while europeans don't? and why isn't a free battery replacement an option for us, when they are clearly capable of offering the service? because it's too expensive (81€)? but... the google store coupon is 100€... so we're now back again from "safety" to "planned obsolescence to push you into getting a new phone", neat.<br>
well, at least one thing is clear: the situation is really messed up in both cases.