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Google launched the first beta for the first Quarterly Platform Release of Android 14, which is pretty odd since Android 14 is not even out yet. But nonetheless, we have new software to play with, and there’s quite a few new features available in this first beta. We’ve already covered the new feature that lets Pixel Fold users change the aspect ratio of any app – including Instagram.
Now, we’re seeing another feature inside QPR1 Beta 1, which will show you the battery cycle count of your phone, in the settings. This is something that Apple has added on the iPhone 15 series (for some reason it’s not available on older iPhones, yet). And it’s also been available in an analytics file for years. Now, it’s available on Android.
To find your battery cycle count, just head into Settings, tap on About Phone and then there will be a new “Battery Information” screen available. This will show you the manufacture date, as well as your cycle count. There’s also a disclaimer at the bottom that says “Due to quality inspections before shipping, the cycle count may not be zero on first use”.
Google is still behind Apple in this department
While adding the battery cycle count to settings is a really great feature, it’s still a step behind what Apple has done. For instance, Apple is also adding a line about when the battery was first used. Since these phones can sometimes sit in stores and warehouses for months before being sold. That information is really useful too.
Another area is the battery health. Google only gives us the battery cycle count. Which for everyday consumers, means nothing really. So it would be good to see a battery health section added too. Perhaps a “Good”, “Bad”, “okay” for it instead of a percentage, since so many iPhone users stress over it dropping one percent.