Android update – Google wants to improve your phone's battery with this new feature

Android is Google’s mobile operating platform that is harnessed by smartphones across the globe.

The software received its newest version, 9 Pie, back in August that introduced myriad new features for users.

Many of the functions present focused on improving device life for users.

Adaptive Battery uses machine learning technology to divert power away from applications that are not used in order to focus delivery on the ones that are.

Meanwhile, Adaptive Brightness seeks to optimise the nits outputted from displays depending on the lighting conditions to improve consumption.

Although Android 9 Pie does allow users to switch on a dark theme for the operating system, it is not a system-wide feature, meaning only the user’s app drawer and notification shade witness a change.

However, it appears Google is determined to improve Android’s dark mode with the next version of the operating system, dubbed Q.

During the week Android Police spotted a post on Google’s Chromium bug tracker blog that discussed a system-wide dark theme for fans.

Googler Lukasz Zbylut said such a function is “an approved Q feature”, seemingly confirming its existence and implementation.

Zbylut added: “The Q team wants to ensure that all preloaded apps support dark mode natively.

“In order to ship dark mode successfully, we need all UI elements to be ideally themed dark by May 2019.”

The Googler’s mention of a May deadline could suggest that is when the firm plans to deliver the first preview of Android Q to developers.

A system-wide dark mode would differentiate itself from what is already available on Android by ensuring other Google applications such as Messages, Phone and others sport a similar aesthetic.

Numerous Google apps currently support a dark mode but require users to turn them on manually, even if they already have such a theme enabled in the settings menu for their device.

The implementation of a system-wide dark mode could have a sizeable impact on the battery life of Android devices.

Back in November Google held its Android Dev Summit in Mountain View where it discussed features that can be harnessed to improve device life.

In particular the firm noted black colours on maximum screen brightness consume less power than brighter tones.

For instance, the tech giant showed an image of the YouTube app running in its standard mode and compared it with the dark theme that is available for it.

Google noted with a video paused the standard view on full brightness used 239mA of power while the dark look only drained 96mA.

If a similar divergence in figures is present across the rest of Google’s Android software, a system-wide dark mode in its next iteration could have a huge positive impact on battery life.

source: express.co.uk