A Minor Adjustment That Might Make a Big Difference (For Your Battery, at Least)
Google is said to be creating a new feature for its Pixel’s always-on display (AOD) that could potentially improve its battery performance. This feature will enable Android’s AOD to monitor a user’s “activity” to decide whether or not to turn off the function in order to conserve battery life. The Android Canary channel was introduced this past summer as a main pathway for developers to engage with early API builds.
Reports indicate that Google is working on a fresh always-on display which may contribute to prolonging its Pixel battery life. In a report by Mishaal Rahman (Android Authority), an in-depth examination of the latest Android Canary build was discussed, suggesting that Google is making updates to its always-on display (AOD). The enhancement appears to be aimed at making the Pixel’s AOD more intelligent regarding the user’s presence for interaction.
Rahman notes that the latest Canary build includes a new string with the following on-device description: “turn off the display when no user activity is detected to conserve power.”
As Rahman emphasizes, Google Pixels already deactivate the AOD if the device is in your pocket or if it is positioned face down. In this context, “activity” could refer to several factors. As mentioned by Rahman, it’s possible that the Pixel’s proximity sensor could play a larger role here, determining if the user is close to their device and in motion, or depending on other situations. Furthermore, tracking a user’s “activity” might also indicate whether they have lifted their device to view a notification recently.
It’s undeniable that the AOD can significantly drain your battery, which is likely why Google is developing this new feature. If users exit a room but leave the Pixel’s AOD active for an extended period, it will turn off, preventing them from returning to a nearly depleted phone.
Enhancing the Pixel
Google introduced its Android Canary channel over the summer as a pathway for developers to engage with the foundation of its API development. Essentially, developers have the opportunity to test very early iterations of Android to provide input and to glimpse forthcoming features in subsequent updates. Although it resembles the Chrome Canary channel, Google does not refresh its Android nearly as frequently. Participants access new content approximately once each month.
Users are likely to engage more regularly with Google’s Android 16 tests, which have recently transitioned into QPR2 Beta 3. Testers who have enrolled discovered a new button for app shortcuts on their home screen, along with notable updates to Live Captions. The Beta 3 patch is quite significant, bringing numerous fixes reported by testers.
There was a major bootloader issue with Beta 3; however, it has recently been resolved, and users should not encounter any problems.
