Google is set to introduce advanced battery health monitoring features with the upcoming Android 15 update.
According to a report by Android Authority, the recent Pixel Feature Drop for December 2023 unveiled a new ‘battery information’ page under Settings > About phone. This page displays essential details such as the battery’s manufacture date and cycle count.
While the current Settings app does not display the battery’s state of health, the latest Settings Services app within Android 14 QPR2 Beta 2 hints at a forthcoming ‘battery health’ page. Although this page is not live yet, people have anticipated showcasing the battery’s state of health, offering users insights into the estimated percentage of charge the battery can hold compared to when it was new.
Android 14 laid the groundwork for the OS to track battery health information, while Android 15 is expected to bring this information directly to users.
Furthermore, Google is working on exposing more battery-related information, such as part status and serial number. The part status has three values:
- UNSUPPORTED: The device can not differentiate between old and new batteries.
- ORIGINAL: The device has an original battery.
- REPLACED: The device has replaced the battery.
If made available, this additional information could play a crucial role in enhancing user awareness and potentially supporting self-repair initiatives.
The Settings will also notify users with certain tips when there are any updates regarding the battery.
It is also not clear how many devices will support this feature.
“The health HAL is the software responsible for bridging the gap between the OS APIs that read battery/charging information with the software that controls the battery/charging chips. Version 2.0 of the health HAL needs to be implemented to support all the new Android 14 battery health APIs like state of health, which is why so few devices support that right now,” said the report.
In the News: Pakistan-based hackers using Rust payloads to strike India
