While iOS 16 has just arrived, Android 13 has already been available for a while. Indeed, the Mountain View company began to deploy the new version of its mobile operating system on compatible Pixel smartphones in August.
And now, Google is already preparing an update for this operating system. A few days ago, it has just published the first beta of the next Android 13 update (a quarterly update).
Thanks to this beta, we can have an overview of the new features that Google will deploy on all Android smartphones, or on its Pixel smartphones, as part of the quarterly update (QPR1).
The beta includes many fixes, improving the performance of the first stable version of Android 13. For example, on the quarterly update, Google will fix an issue encountered by Pixel 6a users when they unlock the screen with the fingerprint scanner. Google also fixed crashes in the user interface when performing certain gestures, such as swiping from the edge of the screen.
But in addition to fixes, as noted by developer Mishaal Rahman, Google is also preparing new functions, which have not yet been announced. And among these, there is a new indicator on the state of the battery.
Indeed, as you use your smartphone, its battery degrades. And according to the developer, soon Android 13 will include a new section in the settings that will allow you to know precisely the state of this battery.
Mishaal Rahman shared a screenshot showing how this section will look. When the state of the battery is bad, and if the user notices on his smartphone turns off by itself or if the autonomy becomes low, the system recommends a replacement.
Here’s a first look at the new “Battery Health” settings! pic.twitter.com/3uyyCxMTpR
— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) September 8, 2022
Among the other discoveries of this developer, there is the arrival of spatial audio or the support for Bluetooth LE.
The battery status indicator, a feature available from Apple for years
In any case, the arrival of this new indicator on the state of the battery on Android 13 reminds us of one of the biggest scandals that Apple had to manage concerning the iPhone: the Batterygate.
At the end of 2016, developers realized that Apple’s operating system was limiting the performance of certain older models. If the firm has been accused of planned obsolescence, it was actually a function that restricts performance when the battery is in poor condition.
Indeed, if the battery of an iPhone already has a significant wear, it can turn off unexpectedly. And to avoid this, Apple has therefore introduced a function that reduces performance peaks depending on the state of the battery.
The reason is legitimate, but on this one, Apple lacked transparency. He also apologized and to make up for it, the firm launched a battery replacement program for its customers, and modified the functionality so that it was transparent.
Thus, since this incident, the iPhone includes an indicator that informs the user about the state of the battery, as well as an option to deactivate clamping on devices whose batteries are in poor condition.
