- Google offers repairs or payment for pixel 7A users affected by a serious battery problem
- Some Pixel 7A users have reported battery swelling severe enough to distort the phone chassis
- Eligibility depends on region and guarantee status
Google has stepped up to alleviate a major swelling problem with battery with some Pixel 7A smartphones, which means affected users may now require a free repair or partial refund.
During the extended Pixel 7A repair program, users can search for repair or repayment directly from Google.
Recent reports have highlighted the battery expansion problem, which Google describes as including “visible swelling of the device”, “telephone cover that swells or differs from the device” or the battery “drains significantly faster than usual”.
As we have previously covered, swollen batteries pose a danger to health and home, as they can be an unpredictable fire risk if they are not sighted – be sure to check our guide on how to dispose of an inflated telephone battery for more information.
As 9to5Google reports, Google offers walk-in repair in centers in the following countries:
- US
- Uk
- India
- Germany
- Japan
- Singapore
In addition, Google only provides a mail-in repair service in the US and India.
Google also offers partial refund to affected Pixel 7A users, depending on territory and warranty cover: None of the following options are available in the US or India.
In other territories, those still covered by their Pixel 7A’s warranty may require $ 456 from Google – it’s cash, not store credit.
And users in said territories who are out of their Pixel 7A’s warranty period may require either $ 300 against another pixel phone or $ 200 in cash.
It is worth noting that if your Pixel 7A hand set shows other types of damage, such as exposure to sharp objects, fluid damage or damage caused by excessive force, Google may refuse to issue a battery replacement.
The official page of extended repair program also notes that Google may charge an additional fee if the phone exhibits outside war damage as a cracked screen-as we guess is because screens typically need to be removed to access the internal components of a smartphone.
The kind of repair program that Google is running is not unheard of – some may even call it expected with a problem as serious as battery infation – but it’s still good to see Google doing the right thing here.
Go to Google’s official registration page to get your repair or refund requirement started and be sure to tell us how to get ahead in the comments below.
