Does anyone care about Android 14?
This year’s launch of the world’s hottest working system looks like one of many smallest ever, bringing only a handful of latest options. Even throughout the Android portion of Google’s huge I/O keynote, Google spent most of its time displaying off a brand new generative AI characteristic that creates wallpapers for you, as if there aren’t sufficient wallpapers on the earth.
Last year’s Android 13 launch felt small, however that was as a result of it was the second main Android OS launch that year. Android 12L—the massive pill and foldable launch—got here out earlier. What’s Android 14’s excuse? We’re not likely positive. We nonetheless have just a few issues to go over, although, like new lock display customizations, genuinely thrilling adjustments to the best way the again button works, and a pile of under-the-hood adjustments.
The new emblem
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The new Android emblem.
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The previous, flat emblem.
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It is available in quite a lot of colours and kinds.
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A mixed wordmark of “Google Android” is included in Google’s emblem animations, which would definitely be a change.
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First up is a brand new emblem! Android’s final huge rebranding occurred with Android 10, and just some years later, it is time for a brand new coat of paint. The wordmark is now capitalized, and the little Android “bugdroid” mascot, normally a disembodied head next to the Android wordmark, is getting its physique again. The bugdroid is now totally rendered in 3D, and in line with Google’s Material Design pointers, it is available in quite a lot of colours and kinds. If you ask me, bugdroid in 3D seems a bit pudgy.
In the movies on Google’s redesign weblog put up, a “Google Android” emblem occupies the display for period of time. I’ve by no means seen these two manufacturers collectively as a single wordmark, and widespread utilization of it might definitely be a change. Some individuals confuse the Android model with the “Android Open Source Project” and assume it is some sort of free-to-use emblem, however Android is a trademark of Google, and you’ll’t use it except you license the Google Play apps. So “Google Android” is completely applicable.
I’ve by no means truly seen the Android emblem wherever on the earth outdoors of tech information, so I’m unsure who that is for. Even should you get a Pixel cellphone, you will not see the Android emblem on the field or within the software program. The one spot to catch it in the actual world is in a tiny “powered by Android” message on the hardly ever seen cellphone boot display. It’s like a branding system completely for Google weblog posts and commerce exhibits.
The (considerably) customizable lock display
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Long press on the lock display and you will get this “customise lock display” button.
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All the clock fonts.
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Clock colour choices. The slider permits you to choose from darkish, mild, or vibrant colours.
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The shortcut display and all 9 choices.
Ron Amadeo
iOS 16’s headline characteristic was its new lock display widgets, and it appears Android needs in on the motion, too. Android initially had lock display widgets again in 2012 with Android 4.2, however they have been eliminated just some years later in model 5.0. Lock display widgets are nonetheless not again in Android 14, however as a result of Google tries to maintain tempo with iOS, widgets are most likely a lock to look in Android 15 or 16.
What we’ve got in Android 14’s lock display is a selectable clock model and two shortcuts you possibly can choose from. You can long-press on the lock display, and a “customise” button will pop up, letting you choose from seven completely different clock kinds. You can select the clock’s colour, and a colour slider permits you to alter issues additional. “Contrast” is not the appropriate phrase for the slider, however the left facet is a evenly tinted almost-black, the appropriate facet is a evenly tinted almost-white, and a full, wealthy colour is within the center someplace. There’s additionally a “measurement” setting for the clock, which determines if it kicks into full-screen mode when you don’t have any notifications or simply stays small on a regular basis.
You can assign features to 2 left and proper shortcuts, however the choices are unusually restricted. You can assign a button to the digital camera, a do-not-disturb toggle, the flashlight, the Google Home app, Mute, the QR code scanner, the video digital camera, or Google Wallet. That’s it—a bizarre seize bag of some fast settings toggles and one or two Google apps.
Still, it is nice to get an precise settings UI for the lock display shortcuts. Previously, controlling these shortcuts meant ticking one or two on/off switches within the show settings, which isn’t nice for one thing that might have a number of choices. It ought to simply be all of your apps and fast settings buttons—because of themed icons, there needs to be applicable one-color choices for all of those now. Between this shortcut setting, the short settings “edit” UI, and the app drawer/house display, that is three “shortcut” UIs the place you choose a number of gadgets from a giant bucket of icons. Google ought to simply choose one UI and roll with it all over the place.
In common, although, the lock display choices really feel like a precursor to one thing extra strong, with app-supplied widgets.