Google today announced the release of Android 14 on supported Pixel devices, along with new quarterly Pixel Feature Drops. Android 14 will be rolling out to Samsung Galaxy, iQOO, Nothing, OnePlus, Oppo, Realme, Sharp, Sony, Tecno, vivo, and Xiaomi devices later this year.
“Android 14 is packed with updates to help you customize your device experience, improve health and safety controls, and improve accessibility.” Google Vice President Dave Burke explains. “Android 14… improves performance, privacy, security, and customization.”
Windows Intelligence in your inbox
Sign up for our new free newsletter and get 3 time-saving tips every Friday — and As a special welcome gift, get a free copy of Paul Thurrott’s Windows 11 and Windows 10 Field Guide (regularly $9.99).
”*” indicates a required field
The main new features are:
A new look and feel. Google brought Material You Design to Android 12 two years ago, then refined it further (and presumably made it widely available) in Android 13. And now, Android 14 brings even more customization features with new lock screen templates, custom lock screen shortcuts, and customization features. Home screen picker and AI-created generated wallpapers (first on Pixel). There is also a monochrome theme for minimalists.
Health Connect. This central hub allows users to track their fitness, health, and wellness in one place. This location is encrypted on your phone and cannot be viewed by Google or anyone else. Integrates with Google and third-party services like Oura, Peloton, and Whoop.
Large font with non-linear scaling. Android 14 allows users to scale fonts up to 200 percent, up from 130 percent on previous Pixel devices. Scaling also uses a nonlinear scaling curve to ensure that text that is already large enough does not grow at the same rate as small text.
Improved security. Android 14 encourages users to adopt a 6-digit PIN (as in ChromeOS), which will eventually unlock the phone without having to tap “Enter” .
Improved accessibility. Android 14 brings many accessibility improvements, including improvements to Magnifier, font size tiles in Quick Settings, new ways to connect and interact with hearing aids, and a new Flash notification feature that uses flashing lights instead of sounds. I am.
New features. Android 14 brings Ultra HD images, new camera enhancements (zoom, focus, postview, etc.), lossless USB audio, auto-framing on video calls, one-tap access to Google Home, new graphics features, OpenJDK 17, and new Supports sharing. Sheet customization.
For more information about Android 14, visit the Android website..
The Fall 2023 Pixel feature drop is built on Android 14 and adds new features to Pixel smartphones and Pixel tablets. These include:
Dual screen interpreter mode on Pixel Fold. This new translated conversation experience takes advantage of the Pixel Fold’s dual displays.
Updated Pixel camera experience. This new camera UI makes it easier to discover camera features on your Pixel.
Unique customization features. Pixel users have access to a new collection of unique clocks and wallpapers not available on other Android 14 smartphones. And those using the new solid color theme on their Pixel will see that color scheme recreated in the popular Google app.
Improved kids space on Pixel Tablet. The tablet experience for kids now features a streamlined navigation bar that makes it easy to switch between apps and access the home screen.
Pixel tablet news and podcasts. You can now ask Google Assistant to play podcasts and news when your tablet is docked in hub mode.
To learn more about Pixel feature additions in fall 2023, visit the Google Pixel blog..
