There seems to be an increasing number of Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL users complaining about the batteries inside these phones. No, the issue has nothing to do with the battery life that users are squeezing out of the 2915mAh and 3430mAh components respectively. The problem has to do with these batteries swelling; since May, there have been numerous posts and photos about the bloated batteries in the Google Support Forum and Reddit. The photos show that the swelling is so severe in some cases that it pushes out and lifts off the rear panel of the phone.
Some users didn’t even notice that their batteries were looking pregnant because the damage was being hidden by a case. Others only knew that a problem existed because they were unable to charge wirelessly. One Pixel 4 XL user noted that he was having problems charging wirelessly and came to the conclusion that his Pixel Stand was malfunctioning. Google replaced the stand but it was to no avail. It wasn’t until the user realized that his wife’s Galaxy S10 charged on the Pixel Stand without a problem that he came to the conclusion that the problem was with his phone.
The author of one Reddit post, Dgecko2000, arranged to receive a replacement for his Pixel 4 XL from Verizon. But less than a year after the phone’s launch, Verizon was out of stock and is sending him a Samsung Galaxy S10+ instead. This led Dgecko2000 to wonder whether the bloated battery issue is responsible for the early discontinuation of the Pixel 4 series. As he writes, “I’m starting to suspect that this battery swell issue may be bigger than Google is currently admitting, and that’s why they have abruptly discontinued it… I’m wondering if my phone’s wireless charging issue may be a symptom too. Upon closer inspection, the top back corners appear to be “scuffed” on the black rim where it meets the rear glass… Those 2 corners appear to be slightly lifted too but it is hard to tell.”
If you turn to Google for a device replacement instead of your carrier, you might find greater success. It appears that even if your damaged Pixel unit is out of warranty, Google is willing to send you a refurbished model. However, the company is telling customers that the replacements are a one-time thing only. In other words, if the replacement you received from Google has the same problem a year or two from now, don’t count on receiving another replacement model from the company.
