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According to the Reddit post, the phone was plugged in to a standard USB-PD charger overnight (the OEM Steam Deck plug). The unlucky owner awoke to a burning smell and a face full of battery fumes but was able to fling the flaming phone onto the floor, where it thankfully expended its remaining energy without setting the house ablaze.
Half measures
A lithium-ion battery fire is hard to extinguish, which is why manufacturers take the risk of defective batteries so seriously. Google didn’t take this one seriously enough to recall the phone, though. Pixel 6a owners are supposed to take Google’s word that the “Battery Performance Program” will make the phone safe to use, even if it only lasts a few hours on a charge. It still feels like the company is doing the minimum to avoid liability.
The owner of the recently exploded phone says battery replacements are not available via retailers in their country. Shipping a phone in for a battery swap can take weeks and simply isn’t an option for many people who rely on their device for communication. Google’s $100 cash or $150 store credit options don’t come anywhere close to covering the cost of a new phone, either.
Pixel 6a owners might be looking at their phones with more trepidation going forward. Google’s half measures are forcing its customers to continue using hobbled devices that may still burst into flames, and that doesn’t seem like a great way to manage the situation. We’ve reached out to Google for comment and will report back if we get a statement.
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