Pixel 3 Battery Breaking Backs, Portent Fire

This week it's become apparent that the first few reports of a broken back panel on Google Pixel 3 devices weren't isolated incidents. If you believe your Google Pixel 3 or Google Pixel 3 XL is thicker today than it was when you first obtained it – now's the time to take action. An expanding battery is NOT a small matter, and NOT something you'll be able to ignore for long.

Lithium Ion battery technology is essential to the vast majority of smart devices we use today. The battery you have in your smartphone right now is almost certainly a Lithium Ion battery. They're great because they function fine, MOST of the time – but when a Lithium Ion battery fails, it fails HARD.

Watch the video below to see an explanation of why Lithium Ion batteries expand and potentially explode. This video has Greg Less, Senior Manager of the Battery User Facility at the University of Michigan Engineering department, explain what's going on with battery explosions.

As noted by Android Authority and Android Police, you'll find a Pixel Phone Help thread about a Pixel 3 swollen battery with several comments therein. If you have a Google Pixel 3 or Pixel 3 XL that appears to have a swollen battery, head over to the Google Pixel Phone Support page right this minute.

If you have ANY smartphone, tablet, laptop, or related smart device that seems to be expanding, cracking, or otherwise de-forming over time, take action. Seek support from the manufacturer of said device, and do NOT keep using said device if at all possible. First comes expansion, then comes fire. This isn't the sort of cosmetic problem you can ignore like a rust spot on your car's bumper. This is the sort of real physical flaw that turns into something far, far more inconvenient than a slightly fatter phone.