Google may have accidentally revealed the existence of the Pixel 8a, the company’s upcoming affordable phone, while bringing up a feature that disappeared from Pixel phones after the March update.
In a statement, Google talked about the new battery stats added in the Android 14 QPR 1 update, which displayed the number of charging cycles and the battery’s manufacturing date in the battery information section. This information was supposed to help users assess the health of their phone’s battery.
However, the feature was mysteriously removed from Pixel phones after the recent March update. Google addressed the issue in its issue tracker, saying it was intentional and The battery stats feature was never supposed to appear on existing devices.
The Pixel 8a is coming in just a few weeks
While doing so, Google also confirmed that the battery stats feature will be available on all Pixel 8a and above devices. “ We only enable this page on Pixel 8a and above, so it is a WAI (Working as Intended) “, Google wrote on its issue tracking page.
This confirms that the Pixel 8a is indeed in the works, and that it will have the battery statistics feature like all future Pixel phones. It’s unclear if the feature will also come to older Pixel phones like the Pixel 8 and Pixel 7 series, but given its recent removal by Google, this could well be a feature exclusive to the new model. However, we know that Android 15 should also add information relating to the health of our batteries.
Google should launch the Pixel 8a in the coming months, perhaps at the Google I/O conference in May. From what we already know, the smartphone should be marketed at a slightly higher price than its predecessor, perhaps because of the many changes it will bring. In particular, it will be necessary to count on a large battery, a more efficient screen, but above all a greatly improved photo part.