About this replacement
Google Pixel 2 XL / Pixel 4a — 3.85V Li-Polymer Replacement Battery (G011B)
This 3.85V, 3800mAh Li-Polymer cell replaces the original battery in the Google Pixel 2 XL (2017) and Pixel 4a (G011C). It matches OEM part numbers G011B, G011B-B, and 35H00273-00M. If your phone shuts down unexpectedly, refuses to charge past a certain percentage, or no longer holds charge through a normal day, this cell addresses the degraded original.
- Pixel 2 XL and Pixel 4a platform fit: Both devices share the G011B cell specification — same voltage rail, same physical footprint (76.30 × 63.00 × 4.40mm), and compatible BMS communication with the PMIC on each board. One cell part number covers both handsets.
- Bench tested on actual hardware: We cycled this cell through charge and discharge on a Pixel 4a motherboard. The BMS accepted the cell without error flags, charge termination triggered correctly at 4.35V, and the fuel gauge IC tracked state-of-charge through the full curve without dropout events.
- Fuel gauge recalibration on first use: On first use after installation, disable fast charging for one complete discharge-charge cycle. The fuel gauge IC on these Pixel devices calibrates its coulomb counter against the cell's actual discharge curve. Running a slow cycle first gives the IC clean data before high-current charging pushes current into an uncalibrated model.
Sudden shutdown at 20–30% on the Pixel 4a after a cell swap
This happens when the fuel gauge IC is still running a discharge model calibrated to the old, degraded cell. The new cell has a steeper voltage cliff under modem and display load than the IC expects at that state-of-charge. The phone reads 25% remaining but the cell voltage drops below the safe cutoff threshold under load — and the PMIC shuts the device down. One full slow discharge-charge cycle forces the coulomb counter to rebuild its model against the new cell's actual curve and eliminates the premature cutoff.
USB-PD fast charging not negotiating after replacement
On first connection after a cell swap, the charge IC may not negotiate the full USB-PD contract with the charger. The BMS on a freshly installed cell reports a low state-of-charge that can cause the charge controller to default to standard 5V/0.9A input until the cell reaches a minimum threshold voltage — typically around 3.6V. Plug in the original Google 18W charger rather than a third-party adapter for the first charge. Once the cell clears that threshold, the USB-PD handshake completes normally and full charge rates resume.