Google always wants us to believe that a major software update carries a bunch of improvements, among them better battery life. However, users of the Google Nexus 6P might have a different story to tell.
The Nexus 6P is now approaching its second anniversary and there’s no doubt the phone has passed the test of time. When it was unveiled back in 2015, the phone came preinstalled with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow and so far, it has been updated to Android 7.1.2 Nougat and is waiting for an update to Android 8.0 O, probably from next week.
With the release of Android Nougat, the Google Nexus 6P received a glorious amount of new features and functionalities. Many out there should be enjoying these new features. But one thing that has never been the same for most Nexus 6P users since the update to Nougat is the battery life.
Some started experiencing funny battery issues that were at some point tied to Android Nougat, where the phone could just switch off even when the battery power is still at a whopping 65%. But it emerged that this issue had nothing to do with the new OS. For those who haven’t been experiencing this dreadful battery issue, they haven’t been able to avoid the issue of battery life.
Apparently, the battery life on the Google Nexus 6P with Android 7.1.2 Nougat is much poorer than that of Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. A year ago, a single charge would have easily lasted a day (24 hours) or even more on your Nexus 6P, but today, you’ll be lucky to get 12 hours of a full 6P battery with moderate use.
The level at which the battery is draining has drastically increased compared to a year ago. Back then, you’d get up to 4 hours of use when the battery is at 15%, but today, the same percentage can barely last a few minutes. It was even possible to enjoy a screen on time of up to 12 hours, but today, getting half of this figure on your Google Nexus 6P would be a miracle.
Even though there’s definitely a combination of factors that have led to this poor battery life on the Google Nexus 6P over time, the update to Android 7.1.2 Nougat has had the worst toll. Many are hopeful that the upcoming update to Android 8.0 O will make things slightly better.
It’s not about OS, it’s because of the poor battery component. The issues started around the release of Nougat because it’s been a year since the phone was released and the batteries got old fast.
There’s a long XDA post about this issue with all technical details: https://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-6p/general/nexus-6p-randomly-shutting-50-youre-t3522911
The key takeway from this thread is that replacing your battery will make your phone work like a brand new. I did this and now I can get 24h easily if I don’t start watching Netflix 😉