Yes, the image above is of an iPhone. Ignore that part of it. What I want you to look at is that sweet battery widget that iOS has, which shows the battery percentage of each device you have connected over Bluetooth. It’s freakin’ awesome and is one of those that I wish I already had on my Pixel 5. If Google’s teases are anything to go buy, they may give us a similarly awesome widget very soon.
From at least May, Google has been teasing a battery widget for Android 12 that’s made from the Material You cloth and shows at least 4 devices and their current battery status. I’ve cropped the image they keep using below to focus just on this widget, showing a Pixel phone and Pixel Buds attached, along with a random “smart watch” and other over-ear headphones, because people definitely connect earbuds and headphones at the same time.
Weird mock-up aside, we need this! Make this, Google! Apple has 3 versions of this widget! Don’t just tease it like you did that Material Design music app, and then never release it.
To be clear, because Google keeps showing it off, I’d imagine it’ll show up with stable Android 12 towards the end of the month and with the Pixel 6 launch. Most of the widgets Google has been teasing for Android 12 are either already here or are expected, like the clocks, Google Keep, and Google Photos. The new weather widgets are also expected with the Pixel 6, if anything. Google is very much taking widgets and Material You seriously for now.
But here’s the thing – make this an interactive widget too, Google! Apple’s is just a basic widget that shows your connected devices and their battery percentage. Make it tappable! Let me get into Pixel Buds settings if I tap on that part of the widget or open the Wear OS app if I tap the smartwatch section or the battery settings of the phone if I tap there.
PLEASSSSSSSE.
Oh, you want to know why I care so much about a widget that shows battery life of several smart devices I have connected? Because I’m a scarred human. I’ve lived through phones with dead-by-noon battery life. I’ve lived with smartwatches that won’t get you through dinner. I will forever worry about battery life and would love to have easy access to a visual that gives me peace of mind.
It’s cool to have these widgets but there needs to be a way to disable the notification bar Clock, and Battery indicator if people decide to use Clock and Battery widgets. Or, that process should be done automatically.
this battery widget as well as the iPhone stocks app is something we need on Android desperately… like it’s not hard to make man Google i know you got the people and resources to do it but you just don’t lol
Google: https://media1.giphy.com/media/YOkrK8agZLEk2cXeLi/giphy.gif
What’s the battery life been like on your 13 Pro?
Or even the Pixel 6 ????. We know most sites are waiting for that embargo to end.
LOL. Exactly. Waiting for everyone, on Tuesday to write articles or post videos with the opening line.. “So we’ve had this device in-house for almost 8 days now…”
This is what I’ve been averaging on my non-XL 13 Pro:
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f5ed89833e7f91e6c968552b7b1ed73257014c8e7b1c835ee43ff1809a34476c.jpg
It does surprisingly well for a “smaller” device. It even gets kind of close to my 11 Pro which had probably the best battery life I’ve ever seen in a phone. The fact that it can do that despite having a 120hz display that gets brighter, not to mention a more robust set of cameras, is pretty rad. Even when I seriously push the phone, it can still go a full day without so much as any battery anxiety.
That’s pretty good. My coworkers who have a 13 Pro & 13 Pro Max rave about the battery life.
I’ve got the 13 Pro Max, and the battery life, while pretty good and much improved compared to my 12 Pro Max, is not as good as my 11 Pro Max. The 11 Pro Max had the best battery life of any phone I’ve ever owned.
Tesla also needs to make a battery widget for Android. They wasted little time making an ios widget.
Tesla also needs to make a battery widget for Android. They wasted little time making an ios widget.
FOBL – Fear of Battery Life. I am the same way, if my phone drops below 70% I think I need to find a charger. My wife doesn’t charge until the low battery notification pops up. Sometimes not even then.
That’s why I’m so happy with my iPhone VS any Android I’ve ever had. I can leave the house for the night at 40% and not even worry about it. In the past year I’ve had a 12 PM, I’ve yet to leave the house with 100% because I know I don’t need it.
Any Android you’ve had? I don’t know. Typically with the last 2 Notes I’ve had I can leave the house with my percentage in the mid 90’s, use navigation to check traffic, listen to GP/YT Music the whole hour long commute, order Starbucks w/ the app, reply to hundreds of Teams messages, multiply that by 10 for texts from my wife, social media browsing & be at 50% when I’m off work. By bedtime however (midnight-1AM) it’s at 5%. The only thing that will cause it to drain quicker is Mario Kart, because I’m on that for at least an hour straight.
My last Android was a note 9 and that phone started out with great battery life, but after a year it wasn’t as good and after nearly 2 years, I was doing the after work re-charge. Since I switched over to the iPhone 12PM, I charge it while getting ready in the morning (about 40 minutes) and that’s all I need to easily get through a day. I’ve never felt so liberated from the charger. lol
Yea, the battery life has definitely gotten better on them. My friend said the battery on his 13 Pro Max is great.
My Note 10+ battery is starting to deteriorate so I’m in need of an upgrade soon. I guess it’ll be an S22 Ultra since there’s no more Note line.
It would be a real bone headed decision if Samsung gets rid of the note. Rumors saying the S22 Ultra will be the “note” replacement. If it’s square and holds an s-pen, then I agree, otherwise, nope! The notes were the best!
They were. I went from thinking the Note 1 was just a big ass Android phone with a stylus, to saying, “Okay, now it’s interesting” about the NoteⅡ, to getting the Note 3 & being hooked. We’ll see what the S22 Ultra will be.
hopefully sundar takes a minute from counting his billions to read this and then have his minions make your wish come true!