• Source:JND
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Apple iPhones have a battery health indicator that is indicative of the current state of a smartphone's battery. It can help users decide whether it is the right time to replace a battery or not. Something similar is reportedly heading closer on Android. According to freelance journalist Mishaal Rahman, while the latest Android 14 laid the foundation for tracking battery health, the feature may finally debut with Android 15.

According to his Android Authority report, in the December 2023 Pixel Feature Drop, the tech giant added a "Battery information" option within the "About phone" section in Settings. The details on the page (which includes manufacture date and cycle count) for the battery are being extracted from the application programming interfaces (APIs) in the new Android.

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With these APIs, details such as the date of first use, charging status, charging policy, and battery health are available. The state of health estimates the complete charging capacity of the battery. This is indicative of the device's rated capacity. While the feature is not visible in the current version of Android, the Settings Services app in Android 14 QPR2 Beta 2 offers a "battery health" section that will reportedly display the remaining capacity of a cell.

With the arrival of 'battery health' feature, Android smartphones may stand next to iPhones in the battery information space. (Image:Unsplash) 

While the feature was not available by default, manual activation did not show up any stats in the current scheme. The page states: "Batteries degrade over time and last fewer hours between charges." Besides displaying battery health, the Settings page may have a "recalibration" option for the battery. Plus, the initial readings might take time as the "process may take a few weeks", as indicated in the APK file.

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Three icons displaying reduced capacity, recalibration and unknown health detection may be present for signalling results from the menu. The Settings app may send "tips" to users once the battery degrades or cannot be mapped. Plus, there might be an option to view part status and serial number in the future. The status may range from "UNSUPPORTED", "ORIGINAL", and "REPLACED", and the serial number may be six or more characters (alphanumeric).