Google has promised to roll out a fix for an existing issue with some Pixel XL devices that causes the phone’s battery to overcharge. The search giant also confirmed that although an overcurrent draw might take place in a short period of time even when the phone is used under normal situations, there is a slim chance that the occurrence will lead to a hazardous outcome.
The battery-related issue surfaced earlier this week after one user took to Reddit to disclose the charging bug in the Pixel XL, specifically involving the USB Type-C to USB Type-C charging. According to the user, the issue reportedly emerged following the rollout of the Android 8.1 Oreo update to the Pixel XL, which apparently resulted in the battery charging more than the usual amount. In some cases, for example, the Pixel XL uses up 25W of power, a significantly higher power consumption than the 18W which is the expected amount of power the phone should consume. The Pixel XL will then try to recover the normal delivery of power to the device by interrupting the charging session several times throughout the duration of the process. For those worrying that this may result in overheating, John McNulty, Head of Safety and Compliance Engineering for Google Consumer Hardware, said in a statement that the Pixel XL was equipped with several layers of protection to keep it safe for consumers and prevent instances of overheating.
Its safety measures include the ability of the phone input circuit to sustain current that’s even more than its normal level as well as an overcurrent protection feature included in the accompanying charger and third-party chargers. It remains to be seen, though, when Google plans to roll out the fix, though it should not be too long before it reaches the affected devices. The Pixel XL has had its share of issues in the past, too. In December 2016, it was reported that the first-generation Pixel phone had battery issues that would cause it to prematurely shut down. On top of that, the Pixel device had also been hit with other problems such as camera issues and audio bugs.