Android 14 is now official, however Google is already wanting forward of subsequent yr, and meaning Android 15. Though it launched a couple of new AI-based options, Android 14 turned out to be an incremental replace, and it did not embody all of the options that Google confirmed off in early beta builds.
Having used the Android 14 beta extensively alongside all the key Android skins — One UI 6, ColorOS 13, and MIUI 14 — this is a brief record of what I wish to see in Android 15.
Android 15 wants floating home windows
ColorOS and MIUI rolled out floating home windows three years in the past, and it’s a helpful utility that permits you to maximize display actual property. Floating home windows primarily enables you to resize any app in order that it matches on the show with out taking over its total width, and it may be overlaid onto one other app, making it fairly handy to make use of. My greatest use case is launching the calculator in a floating window each time I want so as to add up a couple of issues, and it really works exceedingly effectively on this state of affairs.
If Google is wanting so as to add floating home windows to Android 15, it ought to contemplate ColorOS’ implementation and never MIUI. In all its knowledge, Xiaomi thought it greatest to have floating home windows enabled as default, with no solution to flip off the characteristic. Because of this everytime you pull down on a notification, it opens in a floating window, and I’ve had a number of cases through the years the place I inadvertently launched floating home windows with out that means to.
Google must ship higher icon customization
Google launched themed icons in Android 12 (albeit in beta), and two years after launch, the characteristic continues to be half-baked at greatest. The issue is not right down to Google, however devs — as this characteristic is not mandated, most app makers nonetheless select to disregard it, and it makes the house display look much less cohesive. Even well-known providers like Evernote do not provide the characteristic, and whereas that is extra to do with the state of Evernote, it is annoying to not have all icons make the most of the characteristic.
Whereas Google’s at it, if it will probably roll out the power to vary icon form and measurement, that will be improbable. I am nonetheless aggravated at how little customization is offered on a Pixel cellphone on this specific regard, and actually must do higher.
Google ought to steal Display Distance from iOS
Display Distance is a intelligent new characteristic in iOS 17 that makes use of the entrance digital camera to find out should you’re holding your cellphone too near your eyes. The objective right here is to scale back eye pressure, and if the digital camera detects that you just’re utilizing your machine nearer than 12 inches out of your face, it triggers a full-screen alert asking you to maneuver your cellphone or pill additional away.
This characteristic proved to be fairly helpful on the iPhone 15 Professional Max, and I discovered that I had a bent to carry the cellphone a little bit nearer at night time. Display Distance is designed to scale back danger of myopia in kids, however should you have a tendency to make use of your cellphone in mattress loads, it may be fairly a useful software. Google must deliver an identical utility to Android, and provided that it makes use of the digital camera to gauge distance, it should not be exhausting to implement.
All the time On Show must be higher
Google’s tackle an All the time On Show has at all times been lackluster, and Android 14 does not do a lot to vary that. You solely get the choice to indicate time and date when selecting an always-on display, and whilst you get notification icons on the backside, there’s no customization doable.
Different interfaces, in the meantime, provide intensive customizability on this space. I just like the vary of kinds obtainable in ColorOS and the truth that I can design my very own sample that exhibits up on the lock display, and whereas One UI does not provide a lot out of the field, you may at all times set up Good Lock and unlock a slate of customization choices.
Give us app cloning already
Most Android manufacturers provide the choice to clone an app so you may run two cases of it. That is useful should you’ve bought two SIM playing cards and wish to absolutely make the most of messaging providers like WhatsApp or Telegram, however you do not have the power to take action on a Pixel cellphone. Because it normally does, Google teased this characteristic in earlier Android 14 beta builds, but it surely was nowhere to be present in subsequent betas, and is lacking on the steady model.
Android 15 shall be right here earlier than you recognize it
Google tends to roll out preview builds of Android months forward of public launch, and that is completed to verify devs have loads of time to get used to the newest options. If historical past is any indication, the Android 15 dev preview needs to be obtainable someday in February 2024, adopted by public betas two months later. I am going to have far more to speak about Android 15 as quickly because it turns into obtainable, however for now, let me know if there are any options you’d wish to see within the subsequent iteration of Android.
