What it’s essential know
- Google casually confirms the Pixel 8a’s existence, hinting on the return of the beforehand eliminated battery stats function.
- The function will probably be unique to the Pixel 8a and its successors, per a Google software program engineer.
- The battery stats function was launched in Android 14’s QPR1 replace after which disappeared within the March 2024 Pixel replace.
- It seems Google deliberately eliminated the function, with the software program engineer stating that it wasn’t meant for present gadgets.
Google has casually confirmed the existence of the Pixel 8a by dropping a touch a couple of lately eliminated function that is making a comeback with it.
The affirmation was made after a Google software program engineer responded to a consumer bug report. In a thread about battery stats, the software program engineer let it slip that the function is making a comeback for the Pixel 8a, signaling that the Google Pixel 7a‘s successor is within the pipeline (by way of 9to5Google).
The software program engineer additionally talked about that this function is solely for the Pixel 8a and the fashions that can come after it.
The Android bug tracker chat was initiated after Google slipped in some new battery stats data with the Android 14’s QPR1 replace, positioned within the About cellphone part throughout the Settings menu. It allowed customers to take a look at the charging cycle counts and when their battery was manufactured.
Quick ahead to the March 2024 replace for Pixel telephones, and the function vanished into skinny air. Naturally, folks acquired interested by why it disappeared. The larger query was why Google launched a function after which went silent when it out of the blue vanished. Google prevented offering an evidence for that.
On the bug tracker web page, the software program engineer said that the disappearance was intentional as a result of this web page wasn’t alleged to pop up on present gadgets within the first place.
In accordance with the thread, the function is about to return with the Pixel 8a. And simply possibly, these battery stats may go stay for all Android telephones when Android 15 launches later this yr.
Anyway, this marks the primary time that Google has brazenly confirmed the upcoming midrange mannequin’s existence. That mentioned, it isn’t an enormous shock, given the discharge patterns of the corporate’s current Pixel A-series telephones.
Rumor has it that the Pixel 8a may make its debut within the subsequent few months, probably seeing the sunshine of day across the time of Google I/O in Could.
In relation to value tags, earlier rumors counsel the cellphone’s price may take a bit leap once more (similar to how the Pixel 7a outpriced the Pixel 6a).
