News
- Some Pixel 6a units will soon have much worse battery performance
- Affected users can claim a free battery replacement, or may be able to get cash
- Other Pixel models could be next in line
Usually, software updates bring desirable new features or bug fixes, but one upcoming Google Pixel 6a update could actually make your phone worse.
Google has announced that it will be rolling out a mandatory update to some Pixel 6a models, which “will reduce battery capacity and charging performance” after the phone reaches 400 charging cycles. So if your phone isn’t yet at 400 charging cycles then these changes won’t kick in yet, even once you download the update.
There are good reasons for these changes though, with Google stating that this will “reduce the risk of potential battery overheating which could pose a risk to users” – and we know how that can play out, as there have been multiple reports of Pixel 6a units catching fire.
Still, a battery that charges slower and needs charging more often than before isn’t exactly going to be desirable to users.
The Google Pixel 6a (Image credit: Future)This update will start rolling out on July 8 as part of Android 16 – so at least you’ll get some Android 16 goodies to go with your battery downgrade.
Interestingly though, only some Pixel 6a units will get these new battery management ‘features’. It’s unclear why that is – perhaps Google used different batteries in some versions of the phone, but to see whether yours is affected, you can head to this support page.
If it is, then you will have some options other than just putting up with a battery downgrade.
For one thing, if you’re in the UK, US, or select other locations then Google will let you get a battery replacement at no charge. Alternatively, you may be able to claim either a discount off a new Pixel or a cash payment – though the exact amount of cash/discount and availability of these options hasn’t yet been disclosed.
Not the first and maybe not the lastWorryingly, the Google Pixel 6a might not be the last device to get this battery weakening update. It wasn’t the first, with Google applying a similar update to some Pixel 4a models back in January, so that’s reason enough to think that more models might endure this in future.
But that’s not the only reason to think this could apply to other models too, as Android Authority has also found evidence in a teardown of Google’s Settings Services app that devices with poor battery health will be forced to use the company's Battery Health Assistance feature, which reduces capacity and charging speeds as the battery ages.
This feature is so far optional, other than in the case of the Google Pixel 9a, which has it permanently enabled.
The only silver lining to all this – other than these changes minimizing the risk of your phone catching fire – is that at least in the case of the Pixel 6a and Pixel 4a, these mandatory battery updates have only applied to select units.
So it’s possible your phone has a less troublesome battery that won’t ever need these changes, but this does rather make it sound like Google might want to change some of its battery suppliers.
You might also like- Oracle will more than double its cloud revenue in FY2028 with a $30 billion deal
- OpenAI's Project Stargate will see $500 billion invested across the US
- The AI firm is set to lease an additional 4.5GW from Oracle
OpenAI has said it is set to lease an additional 4.5 gigawatts of data center power on top of its current portfolio from Oracle to fuel its upcoming Project Stargate – a major initiative to expand its AI data center infrastructure across the United States.
The huge deal is part of OpenAI's $500 billion plan announced in January 2025 alongside major partners including Oracle and SoftBank.
With Oracle CEO Safra Catz recently revealing the company has secured a major contract worth $30 billion in annual revenue, many are beginning to speculate whether OpenAI could be the cloud giant's biggest client.
OpenAI to rent even more data center power from OracleAlthough OpenAI failed to share specific details about Project Stargate, we do know that it centers around a $500 billion investment spanning four years, beginning with an initial $100 billion investment.
We also know that Oracle has plans to build new data centers in Texas, Michigan, Wisconsin and Wyoming, with further sites in New Mexico, Georgia, Ohio and Pennsylvania also potentially on the cards (via Bloomberg), which broadly aligns with Project Stargate's plans to "secure American leadership in AI" and "support the re-industrialization of the United States."
Commenting during the company's fiscal 2025 earnings release – a period when total company revenue rose 8% – Catz wrote: "FY25 was a very good year—but we believe FY26 will be even better as our revenue growth rates will be dramatically higher."
"Oracle is well on its way to being not only the world’s largest cloud application company—but also one of the world’s largest cloud infrastructure companies," Catz added. Oracle has a market cap of $645.98 billion, putting it several paces behind its key multi trillion-dollar hyperscaler rivals.
Oracle did not respond to TechRadar Pro's request for a comment on the mystery $30 billion deal, which is set to come into play in fiscal 2028.
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- Elon Musk slams Project Stargate, calls Sam Altman a "swindler"
- An unannounced MMO from The Elder Scrolls Online developer ZeniMax Game Studios has been canceled
- The project is just one of many that have been canceled amid mass layoffs at Microsoft
- ZeniMax Game Studios head Matt Firor has also stepped down
Microsoft has canceled an unannounced massively multiplayer game (MMO) from The Elder Scrolls Online developer ZeniMax Game Studios.
This comes amid mass layoffs at Microsoft that have seen 9,000 staff members affected, as well as multiple other games to be canceled, including Perfect Dark and Everwild.
The project, code-named Blackbird, was said to be an MMO and a brand new IP unrelated to The Elder Scrolls or Fallout. Development began in 2018 and has been in the works for seven years. It appears that the team has also been cut as part of the layoffs.
According to Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier on Bluesky, "some employees at ZeniMax Online Studios are now watching their Slack accounts abruptly get locked out," and they've received no word from HR or been informed about the status of their employment, "just an ominous Slack deactivation."
In addition, ZeniMax Game Studios' head Matt Firor has stepped down from his position and been replaced by Joseph Burba.
"After more than 18 years leading ZeniMax Online Studios, I'll be stepping away later this month," Firor said on X / Twitter.
"While I won't be working on the game anymore, I will be cheering you on and adding to the thousands of hours I've already spent in-game. There are many more stories to be told, adventures to be had, and I know this amazing community will carry that shared legacy and success forwards."
Please read this update from ZOS President, Matt Firor. pic.twitter.com/M00G1QZZrHJuly 2, 2025
Jill Braff, head of studio for Bethesda and ZeniMax, also shared a staff memo announcing the leadership changes while also commenting on the latest job cuts (via IGN).
"Dear Team. Building on Matt’s note below, I first want to take a moment to acknowledge the changes happening today across Microsoft Gaming, including Bethesda/ZeniMax," Braff wrote.
"Saying goodbye to talented colleagues and friends is painful. These individuals have contributed meaningfully to our studios, our games, and our culture. I want to thank them for the contributions they have made that shaped our journey as a team and as a company.
"I also want to share today that Matt Firor has decided to step down from his role as the head of ZeniMax Online Studios, effective July 14. I want to offer heartfelt thanks to Matt for his incredible leadership of ZOS over the last 18 years. As a driving force behind the success of The Elder Scrolls Online, Matt has grown the game into one of the most enduring and beloved MMOs in the industry."
He continues, writing, "I’m pleased to announce that Joseph ('Jo') Burba will be taking over for Matt Firor as the new Studio Director for ZOS. With over 20 years in the industry, his extensive experience in live service multiplayer titles, and a strong background in various roles across ZOS the past thirteen years, Jo is well-prepared to lead the team into its next chapter.
"Matt, Jo, and I will work together to finalize our transition plan – more to come soon. In the meantime, please join me in wishing Matt all the best and congratulating Jo on his new role. Thank you to all of you for your dedication to Bethesda/ZeniMax, our community, and to each other."
Braff references a prior memo from the head of Xbox Game Studios, Matt Booty, in which he confirmed the many game cancellations, the closure of developer The Initiative, and the cancellation of "several unannounced projects".
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- Nvidia and AMD 8GB GPUs sales numbers are low at a German retailer
- The Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti and AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB models have sold significantly higher
- It's a strong indication that gamers prefer GPUs with more VRAM
We're now deep into Nvidia and AMD's new GPU launches, with the former recently releasing the new low-end RTX 5050 8GB GPU. However, one retailer has made it alarmingly clear that consumers are looking elsewhere for gaming GPUs.
As reported by Wccftech, a German retailer, Mindfactory, has a low number of units sold on Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti (8GB) and the AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT (8GB), noticeably less than their 16GB counterparts – this is thanks to the retailer showing how many units have been sold on each product.
Essentially, it's an indication that PC gamers don't want 8GB GPUs, or at least a large majority prefer GPUs with more VRAM capacities. While it could also be a suggestion of low availability, that's not been an issue for these lower-end GPUs in most regions recently, with inflated prices throwing consumers off.
It's not a secret that games are becoming more VRAM-hungry, and while 8GB isn't completely useless (it's still relevant for 1080p gaming), it's not the best option for games today. Frame Generation, which would significantly help performance with 8GB GPUs where necessary, increases VRAM consumption – and that's the last thing these GPUs need.
Analysis: Hopefully, this is the last generation of 8GB GPUs...Image 1 of 2(Image credit: Mindfactory)Image 2 of 2(Image credit: Mindfactory)So far, Intel appears to be the only one among the three major tech giants to abandon 8GB GPUs. AMD and Nvidia have stuck with 8GB configurations for their new GPUs, and if I'm honest, I don't see any benefit to it.
Again, I'm not suggesting 8GB GPUs are pointless; there's certainly a significant number of PC gamers on a budget who don't need mid to high-tier hardware, which is where an 8GB card would make sense. However, the current trend of poor performance in PC games, combined with inflated prices of GPUs above their retail price, makes these graphics cards a hard sell.
The only place I would tolerate 8GB GPUs being used is in low-end and affordable gaming laptops. Laptop GPUs don't match up to discrete desktop GPUs performance-wise, so expectations of decent frame rates are expected. But it's not the same case when you build a desktop rig, where you expect a bang for your buck – and I don't think 8GB of VRAM can achieve that.
It's all besides the point, though, as the simple case of more VRAM-hungry games should be enough to put an end to 8GB cards. I'm just hopeful this generation will be the last we see of them...
You might also like...- Catwatchful data leak affects 62,000 victims, including 26,000 victims' phone data
- The dodgy developer outed himself by reusing an email address
- Google has committed to warning users about the app
Security researcher Eric Daigle has revealed information about a serious data breach affecting Catwatchful, an Android spyware app disguised as a child monitoring tool.
A full user database with plaintext passwords and email addresses affecting over 62,000 users has been leaked as a result, with phone data like messages, photos, location, mic and camera feeds also putting 26,000 victims at risk.
According to the report, the spyware app runs in stealth mode hidden from users, collecting and uploading information.
Catwatchful app is full of spywareAs is typical from stalkerware like this, Catwatchful is an app that operates outside of the Play Store, requiring physical installation via a process known as sideloading.
The app's admin, Uruguay-based developer Omar Soca Charcov, has been exposed because the email he used for Catwatchful had been reused on LinkedIn.
Daigle also noted that Charcov's admin account was the first record in the breached database, with password recovery linked to his personal email address.
The data was stored on Google Firebase, sent via a custom API that was unauthenticated, resulting in open access to user and victim data. The report also confirms that, although hosting had initially been suspended by HostGator, it had been restored via another temporary domain.
Most affected devices affect users in Mexico, Colombia, India, Peru, Argentina, Ecuador and Bolivia.
Daigle was able to exploit a SQL injection vulnerability to get access to the database, leading him to conclude that Firebase was not the source of the vulnerability, but rather the API.
Google has been notified, and although the app isn't distributed on the Play Store, the company has added Google Play Protect alerts for Catwatchful.
To stay protected from threats like this, it’s important to use the best antivirus software, reliable malware removal tools, and strong endpoint protection.
Even well-known apps and tools can have flaws, so running trusted security software and keeping all apps current helps reduce the risk of malware slipping through unnoticed.
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