Google releases a new version of Android every year, which includes a number of new features and enhancements. Android 13 was released in 2022 and it is currently being used by a number of Android smartphones. It is anticipated that Android 14, the next major iteration of Google’s mobile operating system, will be released in 2023. The question now is, what new features will be available in Android 14? Which mobile devices are supported? Find out together with me in this article.
Android 14 Release Date
Google has already begun developing Android 14, despite the fact that Android 13 is still in the stable release phase. An early leak that was brought to light by XDA Developers revealed that the Android 14 operating system has been given the codename “Upside Down Cake.” For those who aren’t aware, Google has a habit of giving each new version of Android a moniker inspired by a tasty treat.
Over the course of the past few years, Google has developed a release timetable that is reasonably regular for its annual Android releases. An early developer beta is made available to us at the beginning of the year, typically in February or March. This is followed by a comprehensive announcement at the upcoming Google I/O developer summit later in the spring, and finally, an official full release of the software is made available to all eligible Pixel devices in the summer.
There is no basis for us to believe that Android 14 will act in any way significantly different. The release of Android 14 in 2023 is most likely going to take place in the late summer, and we anticipate a developer beta to be available early in the year. This will be followed by a specific keynote presentation at Google I/O that will outline all of the changes.
WHAT DEVICES ARE GOING TO BE THE FIRST TO GET THE ANDROID 14 UPDATE?
It is currently uncertain which smartphones, tablets, and other devices that are compatible with Android will update to version 14. There are a select number smartphones, namely the Pixels, that will receive the update at a predetermined time in the future. These users in particular are going to be the ones who get lucky:
- Google Pixel 4a
- Google Pixel 5
- Google Pixel 5a
- Google Pixel 6.
- Google Pixel 6 Pro.
- Google Pixel 6a.
- Google Pixel 7
- Google Pixel 7 Pro.
Also, an update to the software is going to be made available for all of the flagship phones that have not yet been released by all of the major manufacturers, including Samsung, Xiaomi, Sony, Motorola, OnePlus, and others. In particular, we anticipate that the following devices will be at the forefront of the rollout of Android 14 this year.
- Google Pixel 8
- Google Pixel 8 Pro
- Galaxy S23
- Galaxy S23 Plus
- Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Galaxy Z Fold 5
- Galaxy Z Flip 5
- OnePlus 11
- and more.
Android1 4 new features
Although it’s too soon to know exactly which features will be included in the final release of Android 14, we can speculate about some of them now. Here are a few early rumors.
Satellite Connectivity
It appears that Google has also taken a move in that direction with the launch of the SOS Via Satellite feature that was first introduced in the iPhone 14 series. According to reports, Google is currently working on this feature and has plans to introduce it with Android 14. Because Android will now natively enable satellite connectivity, users will finally be able to communicate with one another in the event of an emergency.
At CES 2023, Qualcomm has already announced that Satellite connectivity will come to premium Android in select regions starting in the second half of 2023 and it will be Powered by Snapdragon 5G Modem-RF Systems and supported by the fully operational Iridium satellite constellation.
Health Connect
You may not be familiar with Health Connect, but it operates in a manner that is analogous to that of Apple’s HealthKit. Specifically, it serves as an intermediary for various health and fitness applications that wish to share and access data. It is already supported by third-party platforms such as Peloton, Tonal, Samsung Health, and MyFitnessPal in addition to Google’s own Fitbit and Google Fit.
At the moment, Health Connect can be obtained via the Google Play Store in the form of a free beta version of the app. Google’s long-term goal is to have all of its services integrated into Android. Therefore, the real question is whether it will take place with Android 14 or at a later point in time.
Android Beam will no longer be supported on Android 14
According to a commit that was made on the Android Gerrit, Google will finally remove Android Beam from AOSP after it was made obsolete in Android 10 and after it had been deprecated. Android Beam allowed for the simple connection of two devices for the purpose of initiating a data transfer. Because it has already been replaced by Nearby Share, which, in essence, performs the same function, this is not a major problem.
The most significant drawback, on the other hand, is that Nearby Share is dependent on Google Mobile Services (GMS). This means that Google has effectively pulled a feature away from AOSP and concealed it behind a proprietary service that is not a component of AOSP. Because of this, manufacturers that aren’t a member of Google’s own license agreements for GMS, or who can’t be a part of them, such as Huawei, will be unable to take advantage of this feature.
There is still a lot to know about Android 14
Android 14 isn’t going to be released for quite some time, but as we get closer to the first developer preview, we should start hearing more about it. Either the Android Gerrit or announcements from Google and its spokespeople will be the medium via which we learn of these changes.
