Wear and tear is inevitable with any high-tech product. Smartphones are especially vulnerable, given the fact that we carry and use them every day. However, some Google Pixel 4 XL owners have found that their devices are aging in strange and potentially dangerous ways.

Over the past few weeks, a number of threads have surfaced on Reddit and Google's own support forums with reports from various Pixel 4 XL owners that the glass back of the XL model in particular is lifting away from the device's housing. The gap between the glass and the body is said to be wide enough to fit a fingernail; Android Authority was the first to report this phenomenon.

Initially, the cause of the problem appeared to be unknown. It could have been something benign but frustrating, such as a lack of adhesive or improper use. However, it turned out that the cause could be something far more serious than that.

In one such Reddit thread, a response from a user claiming to be an employee of uBreakiFix suggests that the Pixel 4 XL models in particular are prone to battery expansion due to a "brittle" battery connector that often fails." The message reads, "This is a major problem with the 4 XL series and I don't understand why Google doesn't support it properly.

Another commenter, who reportedly works at uBreakiFix, stated, "Just last week I saw a 4 XL with a battery connector issue. They also added that they have never noticed the standard Pixel 4 suffering from this problem, which may explain why all user complaints relate to the larger Pixel in particular and give credence to the theory that the connector is the cause, especially on the XL model.

For what it's worth, Tom's Guide has a Pixel 4 XL and has not encountered this issue. Of course, we use it primarily for testing camera phones and Android apps, so we haven't faced the stress of daily use or frequent charging.

Unfortunately, according to online forums, Google has not responded quickly and effectively to this issue. Some Pixel 4 XL owners who have had their devices replaced under Google's warranty claim that their new phones are victims of the same affliction. We contacted Google to clarify the situation and will update this story with whatever we hear.

This could be a tricky situation for Google, as there have been class action lawsuits for the LG Nexus 5X bootloop issue and the Huawei Nexus 6P battery issue, but these were Google-branded phones before the Pixel line launched. Later, when Google began manufacturing its own Pixel devices, there was a defective microphone on the first generation model, which was also the focus of another class action settlement.

However, the expansion of the battery causing the glass to come off the device would be the worst oversight ever. Expanded batteries are prone to ignition, and while we stress that we have not come across any reports of Pixel 4 XL devices exploding at this time, the nature of the phenomenon does not reassure us.

In May, Google CEO Sundar Pichai infamously admitted to The Verge that "hardware is hard." It was perhaps a cute way to diffuse a problem that a company the size of Google, with all its resources and expertise, should be able to overcome. Unfortunately, hardware is not going to be easy for Mountain View.