Deeper customization is a major focus this time around. You'll be able to choose from a variety of lock screen templates. There's the option to add new clocks and shortcuts (such as the QR reader or the Google Home app) to the lock screen for swift access. Switching between wallpapers should be easier too.

You'll have more ways to customize your wallpaper thanks to the addition of generative AI capabilities. Select a text prompt and the AI will whip up a related image for you (this feature is coming to Pixel 8/Pixel 8 Pro first). Google is also rolling out support for Ultra HDR images and a monochromatic theme.

There are welcome updates on the accessibility front. New features include non-linear font size scaling to make certain sections of text easier to read. There's a Quick Setting tile for font sizing too. Google says it has improved the magnification options and made them more intuitive thanks to the addition of things like a pinch-to-zoom function you can enable only for specific apps. As for hearing accessibility updates, the company says it added hearing aids improvements and introduced flash notifications that light up your device's screen or camera LED when there's an alert for you to check out.

Google aims to give you more control over your data and security in Android 14 as well. Health Connect is now baked into the OS settings to help you manage privacy aspects of health, fitness and wellness apps. Google says such data is encrypted on your device. After you install Android 14, you should find it easier to understand how your data is being used by apps that request access to it, thanks to data sharing updates.

Follow all of the news live from Google’s 2023 Pixel event right here.

The post Android 14 is now available to download on Pixel devices appeared first on Best News.

The show kicked off on October 4 at 10AM ET, and so far we’ve covered the release of the Pixel 8 series, including the Pro, Pixel Watch 2, Pixel Buds Pro, and new AI features. Below, find a complete list of all the stories we published from the event, including early hands-on impressions with both new Pixel phones and the Pixel Watch 2.

News

Google’s Pixel Watch 2 refines last year’s template

Google’s Pixel 8 is a smaller 6.2-inch flagship with a bigger battery

Google’s $999 Pixel 8 Pro leans into high-end camera features

Pixel Buds Pro update adds conversation detection and several other new features

Android 14 is now available to download on Pixel devices

Google extends software support for Pixel phones to a full seven years

Google’s Tensor G3 chip is focused on speeding up AI for the Pixel 8 phones

Google Pixel 8 lineup has a bevy of generative AI features

The Google Pixel Fold’s dual-screen interpreter begins rolling out

How to pre-order the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro

Google Pixel 8 gets more nifty AI-powered editing tools for photo and video

Everything Google announced at its Pixel event: Pixel 8, Pixel Watch, Android 14 and more

Hands-on

Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro hands-on: Generative AI and a temperature sensor on your phone

Google Pixel Watch 2 hands on: New biometric sensors in a slightly lighter package

Against the competition

Google Pixel 8 vs. the competition: The seven-year smartphone

Google Pixel 8 Pro vs. the competition: From Tensor to temperature sensor

Live coverage is overN6 months agoNathan Ingraham

And here’s our first look at the Pixel Watch 2:

Google Pixel Watch 2 hands on: New biometric sensors in a slightly lighter package

Our early impressions of the Pixel Watch 2 and its updated health-tracking features.

N6 months agoNathan Ingraham

In case you missed it earlier, here’s our hands-on first impressions with the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro.

Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro hands-on: Generative AI and a temperature sensor on your phone

Our first impressions of Google’s latest flagships, including how to use the temperature sensor on the Pixel 8 Pro.

S6 months agoSam Rutherford

And stay tuned for more coverage once we get to use these things some more.

C6 months agoCherlynn Low

I am gonna grab about 12 more matcha mango smoothies and take their temperature with a Pixel 8 Pro, probably.

S6 months agoSam Rutherford

Thanks for following along with us!

C6 months agoCherlynn Low

Sam and I are wrapping up and our hands-on articles are already on the website for all our early impressions and details. Thanks for joining us today, we appreciate your time! Come back next time, though I hope there will not be another hardware event for a while. Take care, bye!

S6 months agoSam RutherfordS6 months agoSam RutherfordC6 months agoCherlynn Low

That means your Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro will be supported through 2030. Osterloh says goodbye and that he hopes to see us at various Google Stores around the country.

N6 months agoNathan Ingraham

Google extends software support for Pixel phones to a full seven years

Pixel phones’ potential longevity are getting a boost, hopefully saving a few more handsets from an early visit to the landfill.

Show more

The post Google Pixel event liveblog: Live updates on the Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro and Watch 2 reveal appeared first on Best News.

You can catch up on everything by watching the Made by Google event yourself or checking out our liveblog for real-time insight and analysis. Alternatively, we've rounded up all the major announcements for you right here.

Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro

The stars of the Made by Google show are, of course, the company's latest smartphones. The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro run on the Tensor G3, which Google says is its most powerful chip yet.

Because it's 2023, the two devices offer a string of generative AI features powered by the latest chipset. Google says the Pixel 8's biggest machine learning model is 10 times more complex compared with the Pixel 6 from two years ago.

Google says it has been able to expand its AI tech to more areas of the device beyond the likes of image processing. The Tensor G3 can help the Call Screen function detect and filter out more spam calls. Improved Clear Calling, oddly enough, should enable clearer phone calls. An audio version of Magic Eraser will let you remove unwanted sounds from videos too.

Google Assistant can summarize text from websites and break down the highlights into bullet points. Similarly, you'll be able to get summaries of whatever you capture in the Recorder app. Those who use Assistant to compose written messages with their voice should find that feature much faster on Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro.

The Pixel 8 has a 6.2-inch Actua display that can deliver sharp colors and vivid details, Google says. The screen supports a higher refresh rate of up to 120Hz as well, which should make scrolling through web pages and playing games a smoother experience. You'll get up to 1,400 nits of brightness for HDR content and up to 2,000 nits of peak brightness.

The rear camera array is getting an upgrade on the Pixel 8. There's a 50-megapixel wide main camera, with Super Res Zoom up to 8x and a 2x optical quality zoom. The second camera is a 12-megapixel ultrawide with autofocus and a 125.8-degree field of view. The front-facing camera is a 10.5-megapixel lens with a 95-degree field of view and fixed focus.

The Pixel 8 Pro has similar main and front-facing cameras (albeit with autofocus on the front-facing lens). Opt for that device, though, and you'll get a 48-megapixel Quad PD ultrawide with autofocus lens and 48-megapixel Quad PD telephoto lens on the rear array. With the help of Google's image-processing and image-editing knowhow, the device should help you to capture quality photos and videos.

The 8 Pro's display is larger at 6.7 inches. Google says it will deliver up to 1,600 nits of brightness for HDR content and up to 2,400 nits of peak brightness. The Super Actua screen has a higher resolution than the Pixel 8 (1344 x 2992, compared with 1080 x 2400), and 489 PPI vs. 428 on the smaller device. The Pixel 8 Pro weighs 7.5oz (213g), while the Pixel 8 comes in at 6.6oz (187g).

Google is placing a bigger onus on security this year. For one thing, the company is promising seven years of OS, security and feature drop updates. Both phones have camera and mic toggles, a Google One VPN included at no extra cost and a Titan M2 security coprocessor. Google notes that there's anti-malware and anti-phishing protection, and support for passkeys.

As for battery life, Google is promising "beyond 24-hour battery life" on both phones. With Extreme Battery Saver enabled, they may run for up to 72 hours before you need to recharge. There's fast charging support, of course, with Google claiming they'll reach around 50 percent of capacity within around 30 minutes.

One other intriguing thing about the Pixel 8 Pro is that it includes a temperature sensor. That's an interesting feature that could come in handy for a host of use cases, such as checking whether someone has a fever or if another device may be overheating.

Both devices have 128GB of storage in the base versions. The Pixel 8 has 8GB of LPDDR5X RAM and the Pixel 8 Pro comes with 12GB of RAM.

Pre-orders are available starting today and the phones will be available on October 12. The Pixel 8 starts at $699. That's $100 more than the Pixel 7. It's worth noting that Verizon's version of the Pixel 8 starts at $800, because it includes mmWave 5G support. The Pixel 8 Pro, meanwhile, will start at $999.

If you pre-order the Pixel 8, Google will toss in a pair of Pixel Buds Pro at no extra cost. Pre-order the Pixel 8 Pro and you'll get the Pixel Watch 2 for free. Speaking of which…

Pixel Watch 2

The sequel to Google's first own-brand smartwatch is here. The Pixel Watch 2 has been redesigned to offer an IP68 water protection rating. Google says there's a lighter 100% recycled aluminum housing and the device is available in four color combinations: polished silver/bay, polished silver/porcelain, matte black/obsidian and champagne gold/hazel.

As for the functions, there are four pillars of personalization that Google has focused on with the Pixel Watch 2. Those are health, fitness, safety and productivity.

You'll get the most advanced heart rate tracking the company has offered to date, Google says. A new multi-path heart rate sensor works with Google AI to power features such as sleep tracking, high and low heart rate notifications, and Daily Readiness Score. Stress management is a selling point too, as there's a body-response sensor and skin temperature sensor.

Google says that when your Pixel Watch 2 detects a body response from things like stress, illness or the effects of caffeine or alcohol, the device (and the Fitbit app on your phone) will prompt you to log your mood and suggest things like taking a guided breathing exercise or a walk.

Automatic workout start and stop reminders can detect seven typical workouts, including running and outdoor cycling. Heart Zone Training will use voice and haptic prompts to guide you through personalized heart rate zones. The Pace Training feature uses the same cues to help you maintain pace or get back to your target pace when you fall behind.

You'll get a six-month Fitbit Premium membership at no extra cost with the Pixel Watch 2. This includes access to workouts, your Daily Readiness Score and mindfulness sessions. Features like your Sleep Profile will also remain paywalled behind a Fitbit Premium subscription. In addition, Google is tossing in a one-month trial of YouTube Music Premium.

Speaking of Fitbit, Google showed off a new AI chatbot. It's coming to the Fitbit app next year as part of the Fibit Labs initiative. You'll be able to ask the chatbot things like how well you performed on a run and maybe gain a better understanding of why you might have found a workout particularly difficult.

Android's Safety Check feature will be available on Pixel Watch 2. As with the Check In feature in iOS 17, this can share information such as your location with pre-determined contacts if you don't confirm that you're OK if you haven't reached a specified location before a timer expires. Safety Check also lets users share medical info such as blood type, allergies and existing conditions with emergency services.

Google suggests Safety Check can help people have more peace of mind while doing things like running errands or coming home late at night. Google notes that Fitbit Premium members can access safety features even if they don't have an LTE plan or their phone nearby.

Gmail and Calendar apps should help you to get things done from your wrist, while the At A Glance watch face delivers contextual information such as weather and traffic updates. The company also says there are new Google Assistant health and fitness queries that should make it easier for you to access real-time and historical stats.

If you have a Pixel phone, you can use the wearable as a remote shutter for your handset's camera. There's support for Find My Device and the Google Home app too.

When it comes to battery life — a major complaint about the original Pixel Watch — Google says the latest device should run for 24 hours even though it has an always-on display. After 75 minutes of charging, you should have enough juice for a full day of use.

The Pixel Watch 2 starts at $349. Pre-orders open today, and the wearable will be available on October 12.

Pixel Buds Pro

The Pixel Buds Pro are available in two new colors — bay and porcelain — to match Google's latest devices. Google is also continuing to roll out new functions for the earbuds as part of its feature drops.

For one thing, there's a new low-latency mode that should reduce audio lag when you're playing games on a compatible Pixel phone or tablet. Bluetooth Super Wideband support doubles the bandwidth for voices with the aim of making you sound clearer and fuller, Google says. The company has also enabled support for Clear Calling on Pixel, so when you're using the Pixel Buds Pro for calls, you should be able to hear the other person more clearly.

A Conversation Detection can, strangely enough, detect when you're speaking. When it does, playback will be paused and Pixel Buds Pro will switch to transparency mode. When you're done talking to someone, your music will start back up and active noise cancellation will kick back in.

In the Pixel Buds app, you'll be able to see how loudly you've been listening to music over a period of time. It will tell you when to lower the volume to help you take care of your hearing wellness.

Android 14

Starting today, you'll be able to install the public version of Android 14 on Pixel devices. The OS will be available on phones from other OEMs at a later date.

Android 14 places a big focus on customization. For instance, you'll be able to use generative AI to whip up custom backgrounds for your phone (this feature will be exclusive to Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro at first). There's also the option to enable a monochromatic theme — you know, in case you wish you had an E Ink phone instead.

Google is adding more accessibility settings, such as the ability to increase the size of a certain chunk of text and not everything on the page. You'll also have more control over your data and privacy. For one thing, you'll now find Health Connect options right in the OS settings.

Meanwhile, Google is rolling out the fall feature drop for Pixel phones and tablets. Those with a Pixel Fold will be able to take advantage of a nifty interpreter mode that translates a conversation across the dual displays. The camera interface is being updated on Pixel phones too.

As for Pixel Tablet, there's a more streamlined navigation bar in the kids' experience. When your tablet is docked and in Hub Mode, you can ask Assistant to play news and podcasts through it.

Assistant with Bard

Although most of the announcements leaked in advance, Google had one surprise up its sleeve. It's working on bringing Assistant and Bard AI together.

The aim is to bring information from different apps and services together to make Google Assistant far more useful. During a demo, Google showed the Assistant pulling details from a party invite in Gmail. Ask where the party is, and Assistant with Bard can tell you the location and tap into Google Maps to offer you directions.

You might also also ask Assistant with Bard to whip up a meal plan with a grocery list. You'll be able to export that to Google Docs or Gmail. Assistant with Bard can whip up text to go along with a photo you snapped for a social media post too.

Google says Assistant with Bard is coming soon to Android and iOS, first to select testers. The company plans to expand access to the opt-in experience over the next few months.

Follow all of the news live from Google’s 2023 Pixel event right here.

The post Everything Google announced at its Pixel event: Pixel 8, Pixel Watch, Android 14 and more appeared first on Best News.

Some folks were unable to unlock their devices, while others were able to boot up but had no access to lock storage. However, the bug rendered some phones completely unusable, as they would continuously bootloop and never reach the home screen. Reports of the issue appeared shortly after Android 14 launched, but Google kept rolling out the buggy release and only acknowledged the flaw some 20 days after it appeared.

The November update patch is now rolling out, but the initial November 2 release notes weren't very positive. Google said users locked out of their storage may only get some data back, and those experiencing a bootloop may lose everything. Today's update, however, states that users who were unable to access media storage should get all their data back once they install the November patch.

Those stuck in a reboot may not be as lucky, though. Those folks will be able to at least get up and running again after submitting a form. However Google said that "data recovery solutions are still being investigated for devices that are repeatedly rebooting," adding that "we'll share additional updates soon."

The sordid episode shows how Google failed to properly implement its own much-touted failsafe systems, as Ars Technica noted. It kept rolling out Android 14 with the flaw despite multiple reports, and the vaunted dual partition system didn't work because it didn't accurately detect a boot failure. Finally, it took Google ages to elevate the issue to a higher priority, leaving many users stuck with bricked phones for weeks. "Little did I realize that 'seven years of updates' was not a feature, but a threat," said one disgusted user on Google's issue tracker.

The post Google has fixed a bug in Android 14 that locked Pixel users out of their devices appeared first on Best News.

To compile this how-to, I used a Pixel 8, so what follows reflects how things are done on stock Android. On some phones and tablets, certain options may be located in other parts of the operating system or require a slightly different process to turn on. Even if that’s the case, the instructions here should help you find your way around.

And if you want to find out when (or if) Android 14 will arrive on your device, check out our dedicated guide. In short, many manufacturers, including OnePlus and Nothing, are still finalizing their first stable Android 14 builds, and they may need more time to complete bug and quality assurance testing.

At the bottom of this how-to, you will also find information about Google’s ongoing QPR betas, which include bug fixes and enhancements the company is testing ahead of its first Android 14 Pixel Feature Drop.

Accessibility

Flash notifications

New to Android 14 are flash notifications, a feature that allows the OS to trigger your phone’s camera flash or brighten the screen when notifications arrive or an alarm goes off. This is particularly helpful to people who may be hard of hearing. Previously, support for flash notifications was spotty on Android, with some manufacturers – most notably Samsung – offering it while others did not.

Users can enable flash notifications from their device’s Settings menu. Swipe down from the top of your phone’s screen to access the Notification Shade, then swipe down again to expand the Quick Settings. Tap the cog icon on the bottom of right of the screen to access the main Settings menu. From there, tap “Notifications,” then “Flash notifications.”

Two toggles allow you to enable camera and screen flashes independently of one another, and, if you tap “Screen flash,” you can also tweak the color of the flash, with Pixel phones offering 12 different options.

Improved support for hearing aids

Flash notifications aren’t the only new Android 14 feature for those who may be hard of hearing. In Android 13 and prior, Google grouped hearing aids in with other Bluetooth devices. Now, the former have their own dedicated page within Android 14’s settings.

To access the page, open the Settings app, scroll down and tap “Accessibility,” then scroll down and tap “Hearing devices.” Here you will find an option for pairing new hearing aids with your phone, and a toggle that allows you to add dedicated shortcuts for said device. On Pixel devices, users can both add an accessibility button that lives on the side of their phone’s screen, and configure the volume buttons so that when you hold down both, your phone will take you directly to the hearing devices menu. There’s also a toggle that Google notes should improve compatibility with telecoils and reduce unwanted noise.

Larger fonts

For visually impaired users, Google has added support for larger fonts and smarter scaling. On Pixel devices, Android can now make text up to 200 percent larger where before the maximum was 130 percent. The new system is built around non-linear scaling, so text that is already big – such as titles and headings – won’t increase in size as much as other, smaller elements.

To increase the size of text and interface elements on your phone, open the Settings menu, then tap “Display,” followed by “Display size and text.” In addition to two sliding scales that allow you to change the size of fonts and everything on screen, this page features two toggles that you can turn on to bold all text and enable high contrast fonts.

The first time you tweak your phone’s font size settings, Android 14 will automatically add a font size settings option to the final page of the quick settings menu. You can access this menu by swiping down from the top of your phone’s screen to bring down the notification shade. Swipe down again to see the full quick settings menu. To edit the order in which menu items appear, tap the pencil icon that appears when the full quick settings menu is on screen, and then hold and drag the tiles you wish to move.

Better pinch to zoom functionality

In addition to more robust font scaling, Android 14 features a redesigned magnifier tool that allows users to quickly customize how much of the screen they’d like to see enlarged. The panel offers four different magnifier sizes and the option to enable diagonal scrolling. It also includes a scale you can use to increase or decrease the zoom level. To enable the panel, open the Settings menu, tap “Accessibility” followed by “Magnification. As with flash notifications, you can bind the magnifier tool to an on screen accessibility button or both volume buttons.

Customization

More wallpaper and lock screen customization

Although technically not new to Android 14, it’s more than likely that the two wallpaper features Google previewed at I/O 2023 will arrive on most non-Pixel handsets alongside Android 14. The new features allow users to create custom wallpapers with up to 14 of their favorite emoji or with the help of a built-in AI image generator.

The new customization settings are accessible directly from the homescreen. Long press the home screen and tap the top option, “Wallpaper & style” to open the relevant menu. From there, you can find the new AI and Emoji wallpaper options by tapping “More wallpapers.” Both options are situated at the top of the interface.

The AI option has a few limitations worth keeping in mind. To start, you must select a theme. As of this article, there are 12 on offer. Additionally, Google doesn’t currently allow you to write a prompt from scratch. Instead, each theme comes with a few parameters that the user can define, and here again the options are limited to the ones Google gives you.

The new lock screen customization options are accessible from the top of the “Wallpaper & style” screen. Tap “Lock screen,” and then drag your finger or thumb either left or right to scroll through the different options. To tweak the color and size of the clock, tap “Clock color & size.” For additional tweaks, including the new option to add up to two shortcuts to your phone’s lock screen, scroll down the interface.

Regional preferences

If you’re an American who lives abroad (or a foreigner who finds themselves frequently visiting the US), Android 14 allows users to set system-wide preferences for whether apps should display temperatures in Celsius or Fahrenheit or treat Sunday or Monday as the start of the week. Additionally, once you set those preferences, Android 14 knows to carry them over between backups. Separately, the OS offers more robust support for gendered languages like French and German.

To set your regional preferences, open the Settings menu, tap “System,” then “Languages,” followed by “Regional preferences.” When I sat down to write this story, searching for “Regional preferences” using the Settings app’s built-in search feature did not point me in the right direction. If you run into a similar issue, follow the menu flow described above.

Privacy and security

Data protection

Android 14 makes it easier to see how advertisers and other third parties are using your data – and thereby decide if you want to restrict your app permissions – with a new monthly notification that details any data sharing changes the apps on your phone may have made in the past 30 days. You don’t need to enroll in these to start seeing them, though a footnote on Google’s website notes this feature is only available for certain apps.

End of support for older apps

Android 14 doesn’t allow users to install apps that make use of application programming interfaces (APIs) that date back to and before Android 5.1. Google’s reasoning for this is that a lot of malware programs target vulnerabilities found in older and outdated APIs. In practice, this is mostly likely to affect older games that haven’t been updated in more than a few years. That said, if you have a Lollipop era app or game installed on your phone when you go to download Android 14, it will continue to work even after your phone starts running the new OS.

More nuanced photo and video sharing

Borrowing a page from iOS, Android 14 adds more nuanced sharing options for photos and videos. Now, when an app requests access to your media files, you can choose to give it access to all, none or only some of your photos and videos. Previously, this was an all or nothing proposition. You should see a new prompt reflecting the redesigned permissions the first time an app asks for access to your photos and videos.

If at any point you change your mind, you can review all of your app permissions from the Settings app. After opening the menu, tap “Apps,” then tap the name of the program you want to review (you may need to tap “See all apps” to find the specific one you’re looking for), followed by “Permissions” and then “Photos and videos.” If you plan to change the permissions for more than one app, there’s a helpful “See all apps with this permission” option that will appear toward the bottom.

Separately, Google has also tweaked Android’s Share Sheet. With Android 14, developers can add custom share targets to the interface, and the OS can pull in more app data to better inform the priority of actions. In theory, this should make the Share Sheet more consistently useful.

PIN enhancements

With Android 14, the humble pin has received a pair of enhancements. First, there’s a new option that allows you to disable the animation that plays on the lock screen when you input your PIN. In theory, this should make it harder for onlookers to spy your code. Second, there’s a new auto-confirm option that makes it so you don’t need to tap “Ok” after tying out your PIN, thereby reducing the time it takes to open your phone. For security reasons, this is only available with six-digit PINs.

Both options are found in the “Enhanced PIN privacy” section of the “Security” settings menu. The auto-confirm unlock is enabled by default when you set a six-digit PIN.

Everything else

Battery life

Android 14 doesn’t include any tentpole battery-related features like Marshmallow did with Doze. Nonetheless, Google claims the OS should be less of a power hog, thanks to refinements the company made to how the software handles background tasks, downloads and uploads.

Health Connect integration

In late 2022, Google released Health Connect, a platform it jointly developed with Samsung to enable health and fitness apps to more easily share data between one another without compromising on user privacy. With Android 14, Health Connect is integrated directly within the operating system’s Settings. It’s accessible from the “Privacy” page of the dashboard.

Ultra HDR

Lastly, Android 14 includes built-in support for Google’s new Ultra HDR picture format. The format embeds a high dynamic range tone map directly within the metadata of an image. On devices with HDR-compatible displays, Google says Ultra HDR will produce images with more vibrant colors and contrast. The nifty thing about the format is that it’s fully backward compatible with most devices. thanks to the fact it makes use of the .jpg extension. On devices with SDR displays, the viewer will see a regular SDR image.

What about the next two Pixel Feature Drops?

As mentioned above, Google is currently conducting two quarterly platform release (QPR) betas. For the uninitiated, these see the company testing tweaks that will eventually arrive as part of future Pixel Feature Drops. Google is expected to release the first one before the end of the year and the one after that in March. You can take part in the QPR1 and QPR2 betas by enrolling in the Android Beta for Pixel program.

Once the first Android 14 Pixel Feature Drop arrives, I’ll update this article to detail what’s new – since the release timing of specific features can change. In the meantime, what follows is a non-exhaustive list of the changes Google has been testing. Credit for spotting many of these goes to former XDA Developers reporter Mishaal Rahman.

QPR1

The highlight of the first beta is a redesigned “Software updates” page that is easier to find and brings together system, app and Play Store updates in one place. Considering the amount of taps it currently takes to manually check for updates, this is a welcome change.

Another notable enhancement sees Google tweaking the Pixel’s built-in Clock app to add weather information to the world clock page. This change is carried over to the app’s optional widgets.

QPR2

As for the second beta, the highlight here is a per-app screen recording option. This is a change Google has been teasing for a while, and it looks like it’s finally on its way early next year. Elsewhere, QPR2 adds an outline to the volume slider, making it easier to see just how loud your phone is at any given moment. Some people have also reported that QPR2 reduces the amount of time it takes to install software updates anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes.

The post Android 14: Google's release dates, new features and everything else you need to know appeared first on Best News.

Engadget reached out to nearly every major phone manufacturer in the US market to find out how close they are to releasing a stable build of Android 14. If you’re unsure if your phone will receive the new OS, this article will answer that question, too.

ASUS

ASUS began publicly testing Android 14 in the US on October 10. Currently, the beta is only available on the company’s current flagship, the Zenfone 10. “The Zenfone 10 Android 14 closed community beta is first up – and as such Zenfone 10 is the first device which should be getting a stable release,” an ASUS spokesperson told Engadget.

ASUS declined to say when Zenfone 10 users could expect a stable version of Android 14 to arrive on their devices, with the company noting the timing of the release “is highly dependent on the stability and results of the beta tests with our signed-up community members.”

Beyond the Zenfone 10, only a handful of other ASUS phones will receive Android 14 due to the company’s current policy of supporting its recent devices with two platform updates. Taking that into account, the oldest phones ASUS will update with Android 14 are the Zenfone 9 and ROG Phone 6.

Google

As the main steward of Android, Google was one of the first phone makers to release a stable build of Android 14. Much of the Pixel line, dating back to 2020’s Pixel 4a 5G, has had access to Android 14 since October 4. Starting with the Pixel 8 series, Google has promised to support future devices for seven years. The first Android 14 Pixel Feature Drop will arrive sometime in December. In the meantime, you can enroll in the Android Beta for Pixel program to check out the first two Android 14 quarterly platform release (QPR) betas. Those include features that will arrive in later Feature Drops.

Huawei

Unless there’s a dramatic change in US-China relations, Huawei devices in the United States, Canada and Europe will not receive access to Android 14, at least not in the form accessible on devices from other manufacturers. In 2019, the Commerce Department placed the telecom giant on its Entity List, prompting Google to cut official ties with Huawei. HarmonyOS, the company’s version of Android, doesn’t draw directly from the codebase Google makes available to its commercial partners. Additionally, most recent Huawei devices, including the Mate 60 Pro, aren’t available outside of China.

Motorola

Motorola will begin rolling out Android 14 to its phones in early 2024. The 2022 Edge, Edge+ and Edge 30 Fusion are the oldest devices the company plans to upgrade. The company’s 2023 lineup — including the Razr, Razr+, Moto G Power, G Stylus and G 5G — is also slated to receive Android 14. “For the status of Android OS on a specific device, users can visit our software support page,” a Motorola spokesperson said.

Nothing

Carl Pei’s Nothing recently began rolling out the second open beta of Nothing OS 2.5, which builds on Android 14 with features designed to extend the capabilities of the company’s signature Glyph interface. The company posted on X on December 15 that the Nothing OS 2.5 update will roll out to Phone 2 users “over the next few days.” Meanwhile, Phone 1 users can expect an open beta for the update before the end of 2023.

Pei detailed Nothing OS 2.5 in a community update Nothing uploaded to YouTube. Among other enhancements, Open Beta 2 adds a new Glyph animation when the Phone 2’s NFC hardware is in use. The update also adds optional shortcuts users can access from the Phone 2’s power button, and tweaks to the operating system’s three-finger swipe gesture to make it more reliable. You can find the complete list of changes on Nothing’s website.

To date, Nothing has pledged to support its phones with three years of OS upgrades and four years of security updates. Having only entered the smartphone market in July 2022 with the Phone 1 and released one other handset since then, Nothing users can rest assured their device will get Nothing OS 2.5.

OnePlus

OxygenOS 14, OnePlus’ upcoming skin of Android 14, has rolled out to the OnePlus 10T and 11R in India, according to 9to5Google. OnePlus declined to say when users could expect its entire eligible lineup to receive it, telling Engadget it did “not have any additional information to share at this time.”

On November 8, the company announced the Beta 4 release of OxygenOS 14, at the same time making the software available to people in the US and India.

If you bought your OnePlus phone anytime in the last three years, it’s likely to receive Android 14. With its two most recent products, the OnePlus 11 and OnePlus Open, OnePlus pledged to provide four years of Android updates and five years of security patches. With earlier handsets, including last year’s OnePlus 10 Pro, the company said it would support those products with three years of platform updates.

With that in mind, the OnePlus 8T, which was released in late 2020, is likely the oldest OnePlus phone slated to receive OxygenOS 14. Additionally, as with most other manufacturers, those with older devices will probably end up waiting longer before they see the latest version of Android arrive on their phone.

Samsung

Samsung began rolling out a stable build of its Android 14 skin, One UI 6, at the end of October. With the company offering four generations of OS updates on many of its recent devices, older phones like the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy A32 won’t be left out of the company’s Android 14 rollout. Samsung has already updated a significant portion of its recent smartphone lineup, starting with recent flagships. With the company off to a quick start, most eligible Galaxy phones could end up receiving the update before 2024.

As 9to5Google notes, the Galaxy S23 series was the first to receive Android 14, in October. The S22 and S21 series followed in late November, as well as foldables including the Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5. Midranged handsets like the Galaxy A54 5G, A53, A34 5G and A24 squeezed into the November update slot as well. So far in December, we’ve seen the One UI 6 / Android 14 update arrive for the A52s, A14 LTE, A33 and M33.

Not yet updated (but still scheduled for December, according to an apparently official Samsung schedule shared by a company community manager) are the Z Fold 4, Z Fold 3, Z Flip 4 and Z Flip 3. Also expected in December are midrange handsets like the Galaxy A72, A52, A14, M53 5G and the rugged XCover 6 Pro.

Models expected in January include the Galaxy A23 5G, A13, A04s, M23 5G and M13.

Sony

Sony began rolling Android 14 to its flagship Xperia 1 V phone on November 6. If your 1 V hasn’t prompted you to install the update yet, you can manually check if it’s available to download by opening your phone’s Settings menu and tapping the “System Update” option, which is found under the “System” heading.

“The Android 14 update will be rolling out to other Xperia models,” a Sony spokesperson told Engadget. “However, we are not able to share the exact timing of that rollout.”

Xiaomi

Outside of Google, Xiaomi was one of the first OEMs to roll out a stable release of Android 14 to its users. As of this article, MIUI 14, which builds on the latest version of Google’s operating system, is available on the Xiaomi 13 Pro, 13 and 12T.

Unfortunately, those with older Xiaomi handsets may end up waiting a while before MIUI 14 arrives on their phone. “The exact timeline for Xiaomi to update its older devices to Android 14 is currently not available,” a Xiaomi spokesperson said. “Please stay tuned for further updates on this matter.”

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