Android 12 is now rolling out to smartphones all over the world. But does Android 12 have better battery life or are you better sticking with Android 11?
The inside joke that Android is now just a rough, bloated mess is nothing new. People have been saying that since around 2012. I remember as far back as MWC 2012, I sat down with some folks at Mozilla to talk about their then-new operating system – Boot 2 Gecko – and their main criticism of Android was that it was too big, too much. That’s messy.
Fast forward almost 10 years and not much has changed. Android, as an ecosystem, is still extremely fragmented, and most Android phones don’t run on the latest builds of software – or even the second latest. Google now has Android Go, it’s a lighter version of the main OS, but even with the latest builds of Big G, there are still plenty of problems for Android, Android 12,
I tested a bunch of beta builds of Android 12 and noticed pretty quickly that Android 12 was eating through my battery life like nobody’s business. However, this was a beta build, so I figured Google would have it all well and fair when Android 12 rolls out. Turns out I was wrong.
Does Android 12 Improve Battery Life?
Depending on the phone you use, results may vary. In my experience, running Android 12 on a Pixel 5 saw a huge drop in battery life once Android 12 was installed. And it may not be down to “old” hardware; Pixel 5 is only 12 months old. Similarly, the battery life of my RealMe GT decreased a bit. Not much, but it was noticeable.
As complicated as this issue is, some people are reporting improvements in battery life for older Pixel phones like the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4a. Make of that what you will. At this point, it’s not very clear what’s causing the battery problem inside Android 12 (on newer models like the Pixel 6).
Until Android 12, Google was so confident in the battery life of its Pixel phones that it typically used a much smaller battery than competing devices from Samsung and Xiaomi. This method also worked. Up until the Pixel 6, all of Google’s Pixel phones had extremely high battery performance, including some of the best on the market.
Not so with the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. As Tom Guide pointed out, the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro both performed poorly in their battery tests, scoring well below what you’d normally expect from a Pixel phone. The report concluded that Android 12 is likely to be at fault. That, or a dodgy/cheap 5G modem. Anyhow, a trend is starting here – and it all points to Android 12.
Google is looking into “battery performance issues” in Android 12,
As with most new things, things can and do go wrong. After several reports of Android 12’s great battery life on phones that work reliably, Google is now apparently taking a look at possible solutions for future updates to Android 12.
This is good news. If there’s something wrong with Android 12 that’s causing the battery drain, Google will find it and – most likely – patch it. Then an update will be sent and, all going well, your battery problems should disappear like a fart in the air.
I have only one concern here Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, If the reason for the battery draining on these phones is the modem — either with Android 12, or entirely — then that’s a huge problem for Google and anyone who plans to get a Pixel 6 or Pixel 6. Is. Supporter.
Richard Goodwin has been working as a technical journalist for more than 10 years. He is the editor and owner of KnowYourMobile.
