Android phones now benefit from extended software support, with the Google Pixel 8 series enjoying an impressive seven-year update cycle. In a bid to enhance user experience, manufacturers are also expanding repair options, even introducing self-repair programs for users to fix their devices. However, if you plan to keep your phone for its entire supported lifespan, be prepared for a potential battery replacement.
Batteries naturally degrade over time, diminishing maximum charge capacity and, consequently, the phone’s runtime on a single charge. Determining when to replace the battery is challenging because there’s no straightforward method to measure remaining capacity. While certain apps offer rough estimates, their accuracy can be questionable, often requiring weeks of data collection.
Recognizing this challenge, Google has been working on integrating battery health information into Android. Android 14 laid the groundwork, and with the anticipated Android 15 release, users could gain access to crucial battery details. The December 2023 Pixel Feature Drop introduced a “battery information” page in Settings > About phone, displaying the battery’s manufacturing date and cycle count.
Under the hood, Android 14’s new APIs provide apps with various battery statistics, including the date of first use, charging policy, charging status, and state of health. The latter is particularly noteworthy as it estimates the current full charge capacity, expressed as a percentage relative to the battery’s rated capacity. For instance, a 90% state of health on a Pixel 8 means an estimated remaining full charge capacity of about 4118mAh compared to the rated 4575mAh.
While the current Settings app doesn’t display the battery state of health, the latest version of the Settings Services app within Android 14 QPR2 Beta 2 introduces a new “battery health” page, set to reveal this crucial information in the future. This forthcoming feature aims to provide users with insights into their battery’s health, emphasizing the natural degradation that occurs over time. Additionally, Google is actively working on exposing more battery-related information to the OS, including part status (differentiating original from replaced batteries) and the serial number for further identification.
