Another Pixel 6a smartphone exploded and caught fire while charging

A Reddit user reported that on July 26, his Google Pixel 6a smartphone suddenly exploded and caught fire while charging, according to the WccfTech portal.

According to the owner, the smartphone was lying on a bedside table less than 40 cm from his head when it suddenly exploded with a loud sound and a strong smell of burning. The explosion caused a fire in the sheets and damaged the floor air conditioner. The victim was able to throw the phone onto the tiles, using the charging cable to stop the fire from spreading.

The user, while indoors, was also exposed to smoke while extinguishing the fire, which caused throat irritation and persistent discomfort throughout the day. Photos attached to the post show charred components of the phone.

The owner stressed that he was sleeping when the smartphone exploded, suggesting that the device's battery was charging overnight.

This case is not isolated and indicates a potential problem with the batteries of this model, which was released in 2022. Due to a series of incidents, Google has now implemented a mandatory software update that is designed to reduce the risk of the Pixel 6a battery catching fire by reducing its capacity and charging speed.

In the comments to his post, the owner of the damaged Pixel 6a added that he installed an update related to battery performance, but it still didn't help the device.