Android 15 Vs Pixel battery life

 Here’s how your Pixel battery life is affected by Android 15           

During its Google I/O 2024 event, the company seemed to focus primarily on AI but Android 15 was still represented, just not as predominantly as it has been in other I/O events. That doesn't mean the world's most-used mobile OS is getting the short shrift, as there are plenty of new features and improvements on the horizon. One such improvement  is that Android 15 speeds up how quickly Android phones enter doze mode by 50%. After a quick rollout, eligible Google Pixel owners should now have the latest version of Android available. It’s not the biggest update, but we asked you how you were getting on, and here’s how many of you said you gained improved battery on your Pixel after updating to Android 15.

As is often the case when a new OS release drops, there are some nice surprises. Performance is often the main focus, but sometimes your phone can get an increased daily lifespan. Improved processes and efficiency gains are always part and parcel of a big system overhaul. This year, all of the Pixel lineup from the Pixel 6 onwards should see some level of improvement in more than one area. In addition to speed increase, some Android devices are seeing battery life improve by up to three hours. Even better is that the improvement isn't isolated to Pixel Phones but any phone that uses Android 15. Of course, the amount of improvement will vary from device to device but every Android phone and tablet should see longer battery life thanks to the change.

Not everyone has the same usage patterns with a modern smartphone. Consider all the various connotations of apps, cell service, Wi-Fi connectivity and screen time, and it’s hard to truly get an idea of how an update might benefit your phone. Over 10,000 of responses to survey, experiences have been mixed. Almost 30% said that they aren’t sure if Pixel battery life has improved since updating to Android 15. 23% said that they have improved battery life on their Pixel since updating to Android 15. Older phones are often forgotten, so lets hope that more of you using previous generation handsets are getting better experiences.

Around 19% fall into the “about the same” battery life camp. As noted earlier, sometimes it’s hard to truly discern how much the lifespan of a phone has enhanced given that you might adjust usage patterns or you just have an arbitrary % figure when you hit the charger. 15% of people are seeing worse battery life since Android 15 on their Pixel. If we’re being honest, this is one of the obvious fears of updating any device. It’s understandable that you would be cautious to update if you are worried it might negatively affect the experience. Remaining 11% said that they haven’t yet updated to Android 15. Maybe this data isn’t as conclusive as you would have hoped. However, one thing is that one feature baked into Android 15 which could provide some battery life improvements on your Pixel.

The “App archiving” function. This lets you offload applications that you’re not actively using, essentially freeing up space temporarily until you want to re-download them. Unlike uninstalling said app, you don’t need to re-enter login details, and on-device files are retained. This could be a nice way to free up space and stop some apps from working away in the background and sapping at the precious battery. Another improvement coming into play will affect runners who use Wear OS devices. Google has claimed that marathon runs with Wear OS 5 will consume up to 20% less power than they do on Wear OS 4. As someone who regularly runs distance, this will be a welcome improvement.