The system, which rolled out with the Pixel 9a, gradually reduces charging speed and voltage in the name of preserving long-term battery life. While earlier Pixels gave you the option to opt out, the Pixel 10 removes that choice altogether. Users can’t switch it off, adjust it, or ignore it.

Google claims it keeps the battery from degrading too quickly, but the reality is that it throttles capacity beyond natural wear and tear. So not only will your Pixel 10 lose battery stamina over time like every other phone on the planet, it will get hit with artificial limits imposed by Mountain View’s battery babysitter.

That would be a little easier to swallow if Google's batteries weren't already the worst of the bunch. According to the company, Pixel 8a and newer phones only manage 1,000 charge cycles before dipping to 80 per cent capacity. By contrast, Samsung's premium phones boast 2,000 cycles, and OPPO and OnePlus have managed 1,600 with their latest lithium-ion cells. With a decent battery to begin with, this kind of software throttling wouldn't even be necessary.

This clumsy intervention follows widespread complaints about battery failures in older Pixel A series models earlier this year. Rather than fix the hardware or improve cell chemistry, Google seems to have opted for the low-effort workaround which involves slowing things down to a snail's pace and hope users don't notice.