Google confirms Pixel 8a’s existence by removing a beta feature in Android

Google confirms Pixel 8a’s existence by removing a beta feature in Android

Thanks to a tiny commotion in the Android 14 space, the Google Pixel 8a is confirmed to appear soon.

As seen on 9To5Google, the Google Pixel 8a will come with a minor convenience — users of the upcoming Google midrange smartphone will be able to view battery health, cycle counts, and manufacturing date.

This battery health page (inside Settings) was initially available in a beta version of Android 14, but did not make it into the live version during its Pixel Feature Drop in March 2024. 

Thinking that it was a glitch, some power users have taken to the Pixel’s Issue Tracker webpage to raise this issue, only to be met with the following response: 

an…@google.com<an…@google.com> #11Mar 4, 2024 04:55PM

Status: Won’t Fix (Intended Behavior)

We only enable this page on Pixel 8a and beyond, so this is WAI(Working as Intended)

A few things are going on here. One, is that the Google Pixel 8a is a confirmed device, and two, it will debut with a new feature supposedly working on older Pixel phones. 

Despite it being a minor feature for users who care enough to replace worn batteries, the following replies by other beta testers weren’t too happy about the change. To be fair, it’s not clear why this battery health indicator is only available to newer Pixel phones either.

The Google Pixel 8a is rumoured to launch alongside Google’s annual developer conference, Google I/O 2024.

Previously, the Google Pixel 8a’s colours and European retail prices were accidentally leaked.

Source: Pixel Issue Tracker via 9To5Google