Another Pixel 6a catches fire while charging: What's going on here?
The user posted images on X (formerly Twitter), showing a charred Pixel 6a, a melted charging cable, and burn damage on the bed. According to the post, the phone was charging with its original cable and adapter. Thankfully, no injuries were reported, but the device is beyond repair.
This isn't the first time
This isn't an isolated case. A similar fire incident involving the Pixel 6a surfaced last year, also during overnight charging. While battery failures happen across all brands, repeated reports around the same model raise obvious concerns.
As of now, there's been no official comment from Google. The Pixel 6a, despite being two generations old, is still widely used in India, often sold under ₹30,000 during sales. That popularity makes safety concerns even more pressing. Multiple fire-related incidents, even if rare, chip away at the trust in an otherwise well-regarded device.
Should you be worried?
If you own a Pixel 6a, this might be the right time to start paying attention. Don't leave your phone plugged in overnight, especially if it tends to heat up. Stick to the original charging accessories, and keep an eye out for signs like swelling, overheating, or erratic charging behaviour.
And if your device shows any of these red flags, don't ignore them. Stop using the phone and get it checked by an authorized service centre. It's more about ensuring basic safety than preserving battery life.
The Pixel 6a has delivered solid performance for its price, but back-to-back fire incidents could mark the beginning of its end in India. If you're still using one, just stay cautious. If you're considering one, maybe look at something a bit more… fireproof.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
19 minutes ago
- Indian Express
TCS layoffs signal rising strain on Indian IT as AI disruption, US economic woes trigger uncertainty
The recent decision by tech major Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to lay off 2 per cent of its workforce highlights the growing pressures on India's IT sector, driven by the fast-paced adoption of new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and ongoing economic uncertainty in the US, a key market for Indian tech companies. In the first quarter of FY26, a considerable number of IT companies posted weak top-line performance and a squeeze in margins due to the tariff-related uncertainties. Last week, IT bellwether TCS said that it will be laying off 12,000 employees, which is 2 per cent of its global workforce. The move is going to impact employees from the mid and senior levels. Framed as a push toward building a 'future-ready generation' through 'skilling and redeployment,' TCS's move is, in effect, a sweeping cost-cutting exercise. Analysts warn that as the use of AI continues to grow across the IT industry, a significant number of jobs could be at risk. With AI increasingly taking over tasks that were once handled manually — such as coding, data analysis and customer support — companies are likely to reassess workforce needs, potentially leading to widespread layoffs. Experts also point out that roles involving repetitive or process-driven functions are especially vulnerable, unless employees upskill or transition into areas where human oversight and creativity remain essential. 'Aggregate headcount saw a modest quarter-on-quarter increase in Q1 FY26, but several IT companies announced workforce reductions,' BNP Paribas Securities India said in a report. 'TCS laid off nearly 2 per cent of its employees, while HCL Technologies is adjusting its talent deployment outside India, particularly scaling down in the automotive engineering and R&D segment. Wipro incurred a restructuring charge of Rs 247 crore linked to severance payouts in Europe.' Understandably, the employee retrenchment has started the debate of GenAI starting to impact the workforce, it said. The layoffs in the Indian IT sector are increasingly becoming common mainly due to skill mismatches and deployment challenges. 'With growing pressure to reduce costs and align talent with AI-driven models, tech majors are slowing fresher hiring and trimming staff, signalling a structural shift in workforce strategy,' said Arun Kailasan, research analyst – Fundamental Research, Geojit Investments Ltd. Rather than going for lateral hiring, IT firms are focusing on upskilling their existing workforce in emerging areas like AI and generative AI to take care of project execution going ahead. Besides AI, other important factors for layoffs in the IT sector are the macroeconomic headwinds in the US due to tariff-related uncertainty and delay in rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve, resulting in a slower execution of projects by clients. These factors will affect the margins of domestic IT companies. 'During our April 2025 earnings call, we had called out delays in decision-making and projects start with respect to discretionary investments. This trend has continued and intensified to some extent in this quarter,' TCS chief executive officer and managing director, K Krithivasan, said during the Q1 FY26 earnings call. 'Global businesses were disrupted due to conflicts, economic uncertainties and supply chain issues. We saw cost pressures in our customers causing previously unseen project pauses, deferrals and decision delays that resulted in less than expected revenue conversion,' he said. In its recent policy announced on July 30, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) kept the interest rate unchanged at 4.25-4.5 per cent. 'At the beginning of the year, there was an expectation that the US Fed would reduce rates by 50-100 basis points. This cut has been consistently getting extended. When interest rates are high, spending in the US gets impacted, including on IT. This has a bearing on the contracts awarded to Indian IT firms,' said an analyst. Analysts say that due to weak demand, IT companies are likely to slow down their hiring in the near future. 'With muted demand and tighter budgets, companies are focusing on optimising existing talent rather than expanding headcount. Hiring remains subdued, while utilisation rates are rising and attrition has stabilised. The shift is towards value-based deployment and reskilling for AI-driven roles, setting the stage for long-term workforce transformation,' Kailasan of Geojit Investments said. IT analysts said that domestic IT companies are likely to see soft earnings for the rest of 2025 amid volatile and uncertain geopolitical conditions. 'The main challenge remains the slowdown in decision-making among major US clients,' said Ashish Gupta, chief investment officer at Axis Mutual Fund. 'There's a lot of uncertainty around the outlook—questions about retail spending, how consumers will respond to potentially higher interest rates, and whether the US economy can maintain its momentum. The broader economic picture remains unclear.' A report by Nuvama Research said that the demand environment is expected to remain challenging for the next one to two quarters for the IT sector due to the macro — tariff-related — uncertainty. 'In the near term, we expect lack of clarity on macro to continue until most of the trade deals are announced. In general, a large part of the impact of delays was felt in Q1 FY26. The second quarter of FY26 can have some residual impact of the delays. If there are no further delays, Q2 FY26 will be at least better than the first quarter,' said Sumit Pokharna, vice president (Fundamental Research), Kotak Securities. IT sector experts anticipate recovery in 2026 as clarity on the US tariffs emerges and potential rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve help revive demand.
Economic Times
2 hours ago
- Economic Times
Indian semiconductor market may grow over two-fold to Rs 9.6 lakh crore by 2030
ETtech India's semiconductor market is expected to more than double to grow in the range of $100-110 billion by 2030 according to industry estimates, an official statement said on Sunday. The Indian semiconductor market was about $45-50 billion in 2024-2025 against $38 billion in 2023, the statement said, citing industry estimates. "As per industry estimates, the size of the Indian semiconductor market was about $38 billion in 2023, $45-50 billion in 2024-2025 and is expected to reach $100-110 billion by 2030," the statement said. A detailed statement highlighting the need for semiconductors, efforts of the government and response from the industry cited the crisis faced by various technology segments especially by the automobile industry due to dependency on select geographies during the Covid pandemic and stressed on the need for developing India as trusted partner in the global supply chain. "Currently, countries like Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, China and US dominate the semiconductor industry. Taiwan produces more than 60% of the world's semiconductors, including nearly 90% of the most advanced ones. "Such dependence on a single region has exposed global supply chains to significant risks - from pandemics and natural disasters to geopolitical tensions. Recognizing this challenge, many countries are now building secure and diversified supply chains," the statement said. The United States, European Union, Japan, and South Korea have launched national strategies to support domestic chip manufacturing and reduce over-reliance on a single region. "India is emerging as an important and trusted partner in this global shift," the statement said. The global semiconductor market is expected to reach $1 trillion by 2030, with India's market occupying a substantial portion of it. India has the capacity to emerge as a key contributor to the three primary pillars of the semiconductor manufacturing supply chain - equipment, materials and services and R&D. It stated that India can leverage a strong base of MSMEs to produce components for semiconductor equipment and it has a rich source of chemicals, minerals and gases which can be utilised by semiconductor supply chain companies. Services R&D, logistics and supply chain, major talent in AI, big data, cloud computing and IoT are major strengths, the statement said. The government has already launched India Semiconductor Mission in December 2021 with an outlay of Rs 76,000 crore to provide financial support for investments in semiconductor fabrication, display manufacturing & chip design to strengthen India's integration into global electronics value chains. Industry players including US memory chip maker Micron, Tata Electronics (TEPL) in partnership with Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp (PSMC) of Taiwan, CG Power & Industrial Pvt Ltd in partnership with Renesas & Stars, Tata Semiconductor Assembly and Test Pvt Ltd (TSAT), Kaynes Semicon, HCL-Foxconn JV have committed a total investment of over Rs 1.55 lakh crore to produce semiconductors in India. The government under the ISM has made a Rs 1000 crore provision for Design Linked Incentive for chip design out of which it has committed Rs 234 crore financial support for eligible start-ups. "The government had committed the support of Rs 234 crore for the chip design projects from 22 companies with a total project cost of Rs 690 crore. These chips will be used in CCTV cameras, mobile networks, satellites, cars, smart devices, etc. The government under its vision for semiconductor ecosystem development supports Semicon India which is a flagship event organised in partnership with SEMI (Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International). The platform brings together global industry leaders, policymakers, academia, and startups to foster investment, dialogue, and strategic partnerships. "The 4th edition is to be held in Delhi from September 2-4th, 2025. Semicon India 2025 co-hosted by India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) and SEMI will be held from September 2-4, 2025, at Yashobhoomi (IICC), New Delhi. It is set to display India's redefining role in the global semiconductor ecosystem," the statement said. Elevate your knowledge and leadership skills at a cost cheaper than your daily tea. Zomato delivered, but did the other listed unicorns? US tariff hike to hit Indian exports, may push RBI towards rate cuts Will TCS layoffs open the floodgates of mass firing at Indian IT firms? Indian IT firms never reveal the truth hiding behind 'strong' deal wins Is Bajaj Finance facing its HDFC Bank moment? Tata Motors' INR38k crore Iveco buy: Factors that can make investors nervous Stock Radar: Strides Pharma stock hits fresh 52-week high in July; will the rally continue in August? F&O Radar| Deploy Short Strangle in Nifty to gain from Theta decay For investors who can think beyond Trump: 5 large-cap stocks with an upside potential of up to 36%
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
2 hours ago
- Business Standard
Collaboration for future: Isro and India will benefit from Nasa
Artemis signup allows Isro and the fast-growing Indian aerospace sector to bid for Nasa tenders and the famously frugal Indian engineering sector could find opportunities there and pick up new skills Business Standard Editorial Comment Mumbai Listen to This Article The successful launch of the Nisar (Nasa-Isro Synthetic Aperture Radar) satellite from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre marks the second big mission where the two space agencies have joined hands, coming soon after gaganaut Shubhanshu Shukla travelled to the International Space Station on the Axiom 4 mission. This may be the precursor to more cooperation between the agencies, given that India in 2023 signed up for the Artemis Accords. The Artemis Accords provide a common set of principles for civil exploration and use of outer space. While both agencies benefit from cooperation, the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) may benefit
