Free ‘battery life' upgrades being handed out to phone owners – and how to tell if you've got dodgy mobile that needs it
How to check if you're eligible below
, Assistant Technology and Science Editor
A BIG update is coming to a popular mobile phone next week that could make the power run out faster.
As such, Google is offering free battery upgrades to those affected.
The update is coming to Pixel 6a handsets - and it's mandatory.
It's all because of potential overheating, after a small number of users came forward claiming their phone caught fire.
The issue and battery problems won't affect all Pixel 6a devices but the update is being issued as a precaution.
Google confirmed to The Sun three weeks ago that an update was coming to a "subset" of users.
On affected phones, the battery capacity will be reduced after they reach 400 charging cycles.
If you do happen to have an impacted handset, a notification will appear when the phone has completed 375 cycles, to warn you that the new battery management features will kick into action soon.
Google says this could result in the battery lasting "for shorter periods between charges" as well as "reduced charging performance or short-term changes to how the battery-level indicator on your phone shows your battery capacity".
Now the company has revealed that it'll roll out the update next week.
"All Pixel 6a devices will receive a mandatory automatic software update to Android 16, with roll-out starting on 8 July 2025, but only Impacted Devices will receive the battery management features," the firm said on its website.
"Some users will see changes sooner than others, because the battery management features activate only after an Impacted Device reaches 400 charge cycles."
It's not the first time Google has had to deal with battery issues, having run a similar programme for the Pixel 4a previously.
Google's special tool.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
15 minutes ago
- Reuters
US lets GE restart jet engine shipments to China's COMAC, source says
July 3 (Reuters) - The U.S. told GE Aerospace (GE.N), opens new tab on Thursday that it can restart jet engine shipments to China's COMAC, according to a person familiar with the matter, in a further sign of de-escalating U.S.-Sino trade tensions that included concessions from Beijing over rare earths. The United States this week also lifted restrictions on exports to China for chip design software developers and ethane producers, suggesting trade talks between the two countries are moving forward. License suspensions and new license requirements on the different exports had been issued several weeks ago as part of the ongoing trade war between the world's two biggest economies. GE did not respond to an email request for comment, nor did the Commerce Department, which notified GE it could restart shipments. Licenses for GE Aerospace affect engines sold to China's state-owned aerospace manufacturer COMAC, which wants to compete internationally against dominant plane makers Airbus ( opens new tab and Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab. A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The restrictions were among the many countermeasures imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration in response to China's export restrictions on rare earths and related magnets in April. Beijing's move on rare earths, part of retaliation against Trump's earlier tariffs this year, has upended supply chains central to automakers, aerospace manufacturers, semiconductor companies and military contractors. The issue threatened to scupper a bilateral trade deal. The license suspensions lifted for GE affect LEAP-1C engines to COMAC for its C919 single-aisle aircraft, and GE's CF34 engine for COMAC's C909 regional jet, according to the person familiar, who declined to be identified because they were not authorized to speak publicly. The LEAP 1-C engines are the product of a joint venture between GE Aerospace and France's Safran ( opens new tab. The C919 is made in China but many of its components come from overseas. At least one other aerospace company also had its license suspensions for China lifted on Thursday, according to another person, who declined to identify the company. Honeywell (HON.O), opens new tab Aerospace has supplied COMAC's C919, too, providing an auxiliary power system, wheels and brakes, flight control package, and navigation package. Honeywell did not return a request for comment. Collins Aerospace, a subsidiary of RTX (RTX.N), opens new tab, which also supplies components for COMAC, declined to comment on the status of its licenses. In recent weeks, the U.S. also suspended licenses for nuclear equipment suppliers to sell to China's power plants. U.S. nuclear equipment suppliers include Westinghouse and Emerson (EMR.N), opens new tab.
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
'I'm being paid to fix issues caused by AI'
AI is making me extra money, says Sarah Skidd, a product marketing manager who writes for tech and start-up May Ms Skidd was approached by a content agency to urgently rework website copy that had been produced via generative AI for a hospitality was supposed to save money had, instead, caused a host of problems. "It was the kind of copy that you typically see in AI copy – just very basic; it wasn't interesting," says Ms Skidd."It was supposed to sell and intrigue but instead it was very vanilla."Ms Skidd spent about 20 hours rewriting the copy, charging $100 (£74) an hour. Rather than making small changes, she "had to redo the whole thing".Ms Skidd, who lives in Arizona, is not worried that businesses are switching to AI, like ChatGPT, rather than using copywriters like herself."Maybe I'm being naive, but I think if you are very good, you won't have trouble."For now, she's hearing of writers whose main role now is to fix copy churned-out by AI."Someone connected with me and said that was 90% of their work right now. So, it's not only me making money off such missteps, there's other writers out there."Ms Skidd is certainly not anti-AI and believes it can be an excellent resource."My husband and son are dyslexic and writing for them is very difficult - anything to help somebody to write; it can be lifechanging."In the last few years, generative AI has taken off and businesses are turning to systems like ChatGPT developed by OpenAI, and Google Gemini to transform business practices, and cut time and than a third (35%) of small businesses plan to expand AI use within two years, rising to 60% among those aiming for rapid sales growth, according to research by the Federation of Small Businesses. However, some businesses are rushing in, and as Ms Skidd shows, it can often create more work and costs than originally that's the experience of Sophie Warner, co-owner of Create Designs, a digital marketing agency in Hampshire in the the last six to eight months, she seen a surge in requests for help from clients who have turned to AI for a quick fix, but have run into problems."Before clients would message us if they were having issues with their site or wanted to introduce new functionality," says Ms Warner. "Now they are going to ChatGPT first."Ms Warner says this has led to clients adding code to their website that has been suggested by ChatGPT. This, she says, has resulted in websites crashing and clients becoming vulnerable to points to one client who, instead of manually updating their event page, which she says would have taken 15 minutes, instead turned to ChatGPT for easier error ultimately "cost them about £360 and their business was down for three days".Ms Warner says it also happens to larger clients too."We are spending more time educating clients on the consequences [of using AI]. "We often have to charge an investigation fee to find out what has gone wrong, as they don't want to admit it, and the process of correcting these mistakes takes much longer than if professionals had been consulted from the beginning."Prof Feng Li, associate dean for research and innovation at Bayes Business School, says some businesses are too optimistic about what current AI tools can points out that AI is known to hallucinate - to generate content that is irrelevant, made-up, or inconsistent."Human oversight is essential," he says."We've seen companies generate low-quality website content or implement faulty code that breaks critical systems."Poor implementation can lead to reputational damage and unexpected costs – and even significant liabilities, often requiring rework by professionals." In Gujarat in northwesten India, copywriter Kashish Barot says she has been editing content written by AI for US-based clients to make it appear more human and remove sentence patterns that make it sound like the often-poor quality of the content, she says clients are becoming used to the speed of AI and that is creating unrealistic expectations."AI really makes everyone think it's a few minutes work," says Ms Barot, who says clients are using Open AI's ChatGPT."However good copyediting, like writing, takes time because you need to think and not curate like AI, which also doesn't understand nuance well because it's curating the data."The hype around AI has prompted many companies to experiment without clear goals, adequate infrastructure, or a realistic understanding of what the technology can deliver, says Prof Li."For example, companies must assess whether they have the right data infrastructure, governance processes, and in-house capabilities to support AI use. Relying on off-the-shelf tools without understanding their limitations can lead to poor outcomes," he says that ChatGPT can help with a wide range of tasks, "but results vary depending on the model used, the user's experience working with AI, and how the prompt is written".It also points out that there are several versions of ChatGPT."Each of our models has different capabilities for completing different tasks." Is Warner worried about the impact of AI, if – as expected – it rapidly improves?"Yes and no," she says. "While it seems like a quick and inexpensive option, AI rarely takes into account unique brand identity, target demographics, or conversion-focused design. As a result, much of the output looks generic and can actually damage the brand's reputation or effectiveness."She adds: "While AI can be a helpful tool, it simply cannot replace the value of human expertise and context in our industry."
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Elon Musk's xAI gets permit for methane gas generators
Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company xAI has been granted a permit to run methane gas generators at its massive data center in Memphis, Tennessee. The county health department approved the permit for the 15 machines late Wednesday, a move that has sparked outcry from the local community and environmental leaders, who say the generators pollute their neighborhoods. 'Our local leaders are entrusted with protecting us from corporations violating on our right to clean air, but we are witnessing their failure to do so,' said KeShaun Pearson, the director of the local environmental non-profit Memphis Community Against Pollution. xAI set up its massive data center in Memphis roughly a year ago. To supplement the facility's heavy power usage, the company brought in dozens of portable methane gas generators. xAI did not have a permit for the generators, which require municipal approval to deploy, but seemed to have found a loophole in the system that allowed it to use the turbines as long as they were not in the same location for more than 364 days. In January, xAI did apply for a permit for 15 generators – even though it had been running up to 35 generators on-site, according to photographs. After months of public forums and community protests, the Shelby county health department issued the permit. A satellite image that Memphis Community Against Pollution took on Tuesday and shared with the Guardian shows at least 24 turbines still set up at xAI's facility. 'xAI welcomes today's decision,' a company spokesperson said in a statement. 'Our onsite power generation will be equipped with state-of-the-art emissions control technology, making this facility the lowest emitting of its kind in the country.' Sign up to TechScape A weekly dive in to how technology is shaping our lives after newsletter promotion Environmental groups dispute whether xAI's power usage will actually be low emitting. The Southern Environmental Law Center has conducted studies on the pollution that the turbines emit and says they have the capacity to emit thousands of tons of harmful nitrogen oxides, along with toxic chemicals like formaldehyde. 'The decision to give xAI an air permit for its polluting gas turbines flies in the face of the hundreds of Memphians who spoke out against the company's permit request,' said Amanda Garcia, a senior attorney for the Southern Environmental Law Center. She added that the health department is allowing 'another polluter to set up shop in this already overburdened community without appropriate protections'. xAI is in the industrial zone in Memphis, which is surrounded by several neighborhoods where residents have long dealt with pollution. This area is historically Black and has higher rates of respiratory diseases and asthma and a lower life expectancy than other parts of the city. Studies have shown these neighborhoods also have a cancer risk four times higher than the national average. The pollution coming out of xAI, along with its proximity to Black neighborhoods, has caught the attention of the NAACP civil rights group. It has initiated a lawsuit against xAI alleging the company is violating the Clean Air Act by illegally installing and operating the methane gas generators. 'While the NAACP is glad that 15 of xAI's turbines are now subject to greater transparency and accountability around their methane gas emissions … this decision ignores the community pushback,' Abre' Conner, the NAACP's director of environmental and climate justice, said in statement on Thursday. 'We are still committed to holding xAI and the Health Department accountable.'
