What you need to know
- Pixel 4 XL users have reported spontaneous peeling of the rear panel.
- The problem has been attributed to a swelling of the rear battery that causes it to bulge and weaken the glue that holds the panel to the rest of the phone.
- Reports on social media claim this is a known issue of the Pixel 4 XL, but we've reached out to Google for clarity.
Some Pixel 4 XL owners have reported issues with the rear glass of the phone. They have cited peeling and weakening, causing the back of the phone to start coming off for no apparent reason.
While it was originally highlighted by Android Authority, the folks over at 9to5Google have a Pixel 4 XL unit that suffers from the same issue as well.
According to a Redditor claiming to work as a general manager for uBreakiFix, the issue here stems primarily from the battery swelling.
Writing on one of the complaints, he says:
This is caused by battery failure due to faulty connectors. That leads to battery swelling. It is a MAJOR issue with the 4xl series and I don't understand why Google is not supporting it properly.The battery connectors on many 4xl phones are brittle and break apart with even normal use. I've gotten multiple on the job trainings about it, which also say I should never tell customers that it is a "known issue"!
Swelling batteries in smartphones are a hazard, one that could lead to fires if left unattended for too long. If this is due to a design flaw with the Pixel 4 XL line in general, it would not be a good look for Google.
We've reached out to Google to see if this report is broadly accurate, and will update the story when we know more.
