It’s been an exciting two months for Google Pixel 10 owners, with a November Pixel Feature Drop and then a meaningful December update.
Google Maps was one of the apps that received an upgrade, with a new feature I was interested in trying.
Turn-by-turn navigation is a power hog, and I watch my battery percentage melt away on longer journeys, so I’m all for any chance to reclaim some of that battery life.
Thankfully, there’s now a Power Saving Mode in Google Maps. It allows you to activate a black-and-white, full-screen overlay on your always-on display. When enabled, lock your phone during navigation, and it’ll pop up.
I decided to put it to the test, seeing if the new Power Saving Mode actually did anything, or if it’s just better to leave Google Maps in dark mode for your next journey. Here are the results.
Three tests over the same route
Not exact, but close enough to tell
I won’t claim to have done any scientific lab testing, and even running turn-by-turn navigation over the same route repeatedly can yield different results.
Signal strength isn’t constant, and background operations can drain the phone’s power.
Still, it’s controlled enough to get a general idea of whether Google’s new Power Saving Mode is lip service or has a genuine effect on battery drain.
I began each drive with the battery at 100%, and here’s what happened.
I started with an hour of standard turn-by-turn navigation in Google Maps, with the screen turned on in light mode the entire drive.
I gave Google Maps a solid mix of highway driving and local streets, with a couple of re-routes along the way.
As expected, an hour of navigation like that on my Pixel 10 Pro Fold costs me 8% of my battery life. Not devastating, but if you extrapolate that out over a longer drive or if you’re walking around town all day, it adds up to a decent chunk.
The next journey was similar, with the only change being the use of dark mode. I wasn’t expecting too much change, but dark mode did make a noticeable difference.
The same drive only used 5% of my battery. I’m sure that’s within the margin of error, but it was enough of a difference that I’d consider using dark mode more in the future. You keep many of Google Maps’ benefits without draining your battery.
Enter Power Saving Mode
I was genuinely impressed, but not without reservations
For the final hour-long drive, I used Google Maps’ Power Saving Mode. It was enabled by default on my Pixel 10 Pro Fold after the update, but the setting is easy enough to find if not.
I could still pull up the regular Maps view by unlocking my Pixel 10 Pro Fold, but otherwise I was limited to a black-and-white view of my route, turns, and ETA on the always-on display.
It did the job, and I only used 3% of the battery. It may not seem like a lot, especially compared to the 5% I used in dark mode. However, over a longer journey or an entire day of navigating, it will make a difference.
Even if the battery-life benefits don’t interest you, I enjoyed Power Saving Mode for other reasons.
I didn’t think it mattered too much previously, but I found myself enjoying the distraction-free driving.
I still got voice prompts when needed, but the toned-down map was easy to read thanks to its high-contrast, black-and-white view.
The display wasn’t cluttered with points of interest, so while I couldn’t tell if a Starbucks was coming up on my journey, I was willing to make the trade.
Not seeing points of interest along the way isn’t the only compromise you’ll make in Power Saving Mode.
You also don’t get on-screen traffic updates. Google Maps will still suggest re-routes, but you won’t see a traffic jam coming up.
Not everything was removed, as train tracks, construction sites, and other safety issues are highlighted in color on the map.
I didn’t notice any degradation in speed or quality while in Power Saving Mode. Rerouting was fast and accurate, and the map tracked my location smoothly.
I was concerned that, on roads where you turn a few times in a row, I might have an issue, but Google Maps snapped to the next direction in a timely fashion.
Adding to an impressive list of Google features
I’m enjoying my Pixel 10 Pro Fold
Power Saving Mode on Google Maps isn’t earth-shattering. I won’t be raving about it to my friends, and it certainly won’t change everything about my universe.
However, it’s another piece of evidence that Google is headed in the right direction. It’s a simple feature with multiple useful functions that works — something we can’t always say about the company’s updates.
If anything, I’m frustrated that it’ll most likely wind up on other phones besides the Pixel 10 series before the ink even dries on the patch notes.
I get why, and Google is more interested in people using its platform and apps, regardless of phone manufacturer.
Still, it would be welcome to see Google leverage a few of these features to differentiate and sell more Pixel smartphones. It won’t happen, but a guy can dream.
It works, just don’t expect too much
If you’re curious about Power Saving Mode on Google Maps, give it a try. You’ll lose out on some information, but I appreciate the distraction-free driving experience that also saves battery.
A few percentages here and there don’t matter, but over a longer highway journey, it’ll add up to significant savings, especially if you’re unable to charge your phone.
