The post-warranty graveyard is filling up with working gadgets

Google pushed an automatic Android 13 update to Pixel 4a phones in January 2025. The update reduced battery capacity by more than 50% on affected devices and degraded charging performance. Users reported the battery dropped to around 40% of original capacity. The change was tied to overheating risk mitigation. The update altered usable life of a four-year-old device without user consent.