As part of today’s Feature Drop
It’s a big day for software updates, as Android 12L, March’s security patch, and a new Feature Drop for Pixels are hitting phones right now. And while the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro are facing yet another delay, here’s the good news: you don’t have to wait to get some of the best new features on your device right now. A long-in-the-works battery widget is spreading to users right now.
First teased way, way back in the days of Android 12 Beta 1, this new battery widget shows the current percentages of your phone plus any connected devices, including headphones, wearables, and more. It doesn’t have the exact look it was initially teased with last year, however, which could disappoint some fans. Early screenshots showed off a grid-based UI, complete with bar graphs that grouped certain devices together.
The original widget design, as seen back in May 2021.
Instead, the actual widget is a little more straightforward, keeping the percentage shading while dropping groups completely. For example, the original renders would’ve grouped Pixel Buds in one square, while the final version lists each bud as an independent battery. It’s a minor change — and one that most people won’t mind, considering the dummy variant never actually showed up on devices — but for those of us who can’t help but read every Google blog post, it’s impossible not to notice.
As for how the widget actually works, I’m pretty impressed. Tapping on the “Pixel 6” listing took me directly to the battery display in settings, while pressing either of the Pixel Buds opened the “Connected devices” menu. That’s pretty handy, and helps to make it more than just a pretty list. Oh, and, of course, it features full support for Material You’s dynamic themes.
It seems like this feature is still rolling out to devices, but it shouldn’t be long until all Pixel users have it. I spotted the widget on my Pixel 6 running Android 12L beta 3 under the new “Settings services” category. Hopefully, it won’t be long until it’s on every supported device.
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