The update to Android 14 is on the way. What is the release date, the main news or the smartphones compatible with this new version of the operating system? Here is everything you need to know.
The update to Android 14 is slowly boiling. In fact, Google has started the development of the next version of its mobile operating system. Let’s take stock of the interesting news to take into account, the compatible smartphones and the expected release date of this version of the operating system.
Oh, and if you were wondering, the name of the dessert associated with Android 14 is “UpsideDownCake” to refer to an upside-down pineapple cake.
Android 14 update release date
What is the Android 14 release date? This is obviously one of the first questions we can ask ourselves. We are currently at Android 14 Developer Preview 1 (DP1). Suffice to say that these are just the beginnings of the update since, as the name suggests, this preview version of the operating system is primarily intended for developers. The latter can thus have an overview of the new features in preparation and already start the work of adapting their applications.
As usual, Google shares a timeline that gives a good overview of the key dates in the development of Android 14. Therefore, DP2 is scheduled for the month of March. The general public will have easier access to the update starting in April, when the Beta program begins.
The release date of Android 14 in its stable version is expected at the end of summer, or even in September 2023. For comparison, the predecessor Android 13 was ready from mid-August 2022.
What smartphones are compatible with Android 14?
Android 14 is still in an early stage of development. You usually have to wait for Beta 2 to see the first devices from brands other than Google becoming compatible with the new version of the operating system. In the meantime, we only find pixels in the list of compatible smartphones:
How do I install the Android 14 Developer Preview?
If you have a smartphone that supports Android 14 DP, you can download the update. However, we do not recommend it because it means risking losing your data and ending up with a buggy smartphone, as the development is still in its infancy. So just act knowingly.
If these warnings have not put you off, you can follow our tutorial on how to install Android 14 Developer Preview on your smartphone.
What’s new in Android 14
Android 14 brings some new features. Here are a few that deserve your attention.
Photo and video privacy
Android 14 is expected to follow iOS’ lead so that you can allow apps to only access the images you’ve selected from your gallery, instead of giving access to all the photos and videos stored on your smartphone.
Source: XDA Developers
Source: XDA Developers
Source: XDA Developers
Therefore, the idea is to offer finer control to ensure better confidentiality. The option was seen in Android 14 DP1, but it is not yet known if it will really be offered by default once the stable version is ready.
better security
Android 14 wants to ensure that everyone has a completely safe experience. This involves, among other things, fairly standard improvements to the system as a whole. On the other hand, to protect you from the malware that abounds in the vast virtual world without faith or law, our daily applications receive an interesting novelty.
Google clarifies that apps that do not target the Android 6.0 API level will at least be blocked on Android 14, unless they were already installed on the smartphone before it was updated to the new version. Where the tech giant really tightens the screw, though, is directly on the Play Store.
New apps coming to the Play Store must have an API level of Android 12 or higher to work on Android 14. In other words, this means that these new apps must meet higher, modern, and more sophisticated security requirements, and therefore Therefore, you are better protected against malware. .
Easy to create app clones
When decompiling some APKs, 9to5Google discovered that Google was preparing an option to easily clone apps installed on a smartphone taking advantage of Android 14. This feature could come in handy when you need to use the same app with different accounts.
App clones on Android 14 // Source: 9to5Google
App clones on Android 14 // Source: 9to5Google
The specialized medium reminds that to do this today, you must use a third-party service that allows you to configure various profiles. With a feature built right into Android 14, this particular usage would be easier.
Android 14 AV1
Traces in AOSP (Android Open Source Project) suggest that Android 14 will force new compatible devices to support AV1. This is a free video codec powered by the Alliance for Open Media, which has big names in technology, including Google, in its ranks.
AV1 is intended to eventually replace H.264 and H.265/HEVC controlled by the MPEG consortium. However, AV1 promises better video compression, and given its free nature, it would allow manufacturers and platforms that play the game to reap significant savings. For Google, this theme is a real workhorse. Battle that is already leading on YouTube and Android TV.
More easily viewable screen time
Do you want to check your screen time? That is, the time you spent actively checking your smartphone during the day. You can find this data in the Well-being section of your smartphone, but also in the battery options, but in the latter the information is not well highlighted.
Since Android 14 DP1, you can go to the smartphone settings, then Battery, then Battery usage. Once there, it is not necessary to move. HE “screen time since last full chargeis displayed just below the bar graph.
replace webcam
At WWDC 2022, Apple introduced a feature to replace the webcam on MacBooks with an iPhone to take advantage of the better smartphone video quality during a video conference. Smartphones running Android 14 should offer a similar feature.
Small problem, this feature would require connecting the smartphone to the laptop via a USB-C cable. In practice, therefore, it would not necessarily always be… practical. Remember that there are already third-party solutions to use your phone as a webcam.
Improve hard drive compatibility
There are signs that Android 14 should make it easier to manage large files stored on a hard drive or USB drive from a smartphone or tablet. In fact, it would be necessary to rely on support for the NTFS system for this use case to no longer be the headache that it can be today.
Before Android 14, Android 13 brought a nice improvement in this area by supporting the exFAT file system.
Fast Pair Menu (Express Association)
In Android 14 DP1, there is a menu dedicated to Fast Pair: the solution used by the system to quickly pair a device via Bluetooth (headphones, connected watch, etc.). But beware, the option has been roughly translated into French to become “Express Partnership”.
Fast Pair (Express partnership) menu on Android 14 // Source: Frandroid screenshot
Fast Pair (Express partnership) menu on Android 14 // Source: Frandroid screenshot
To access it, go to Settings > Connected devices > Quick pairing. This interface allows you to enable or disable the search for nearby devices and manage the devices already registered by the smartphone.
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