LATEST ANDROID 14 NEWS
Introduction
Android 14 was released by Google for Pixel devices in October 2024. Samsung did an incredible job of rolling out the Android 13 update to all compatible devices, and the company did the same for the most part with the Android 14 update. With Android 14 development progressing rapidly at Google, it's only a matter of time before the full unveil.
New Android OS updates are typically announced at the Google I/O developers conference that takes place every year in the summer. That's likely how it's going to be for Android 14 as well. The company will then release new beta builds. Samsung is never a part of Google's Android beta program but it will eventually launch its own beta program for Android 14.
A large number of Samsung devices are going to be eligible for Android 14. That's largely because Samsung now provides four years of Android OS upgrades for its devices.
Best Android 14 features
Google hasn't fully unveiled Android 14 at this point in time so it's not possible to provide complete details about all of the changes. However, some information has trickled in over the past few months, giving us a good idea of what to expect from the upcoming major Android OS update.
One of the company's senior executives has confirmed that Android 14 will enable smartphones to connect with satellites directly. Major carriers in select markets are already working to support messaging and calling through satellite connectivity. Android 14 will ensure support for this functionality when it goes live.
Android 14 will also make it possible for older devices to remain capable of accessing the internet. As it stands, root certificates can only be updated on Android devices through system updates. Most devices don't receive updates after four years. This feature will ensure that the root certificates can be updated through Google Play Services.
There may also be some design changes in line with Google's Material You design language for its software. A recent report has indicated that Google might introduce a new share menu with Android 14. It would also be capable of being updated independently of software upgrades in the future.
We look forward to learning more about Android 14 at Google I/O 2023.
Android 14 on Samsung devices
A new version of Samsung's custom software will be launched with Android 14. It's quite likely that this version may be called One UI 6.0. Samsung is going to introduced new features with this major upgrades, much like it has done in the past.
What these features may be remains a mystery for now. A couple of reports have provided some indication of what they could include. A Samsung VP did confirm recently that Samsung is working to bring Seamless Updates to Galaxy phones. There's a possibility that this feature may arrive with One UI 6.0.
The Predictive Back Gesture feature that Google introduced with Android 13 may also arrive with One UI 6.0. That's because Google has confirmed it's going to make Predictive Back Gesture a default feature in Android 14.
There will likely be a lot of other new One UI 6.0 features but we won't find out about them until later this year.
Android 14 beta for Samsung
There will be an Android 14 beta from Samsung as part of its One UI 6.0 beta program. We can expect it to go live in the second half of this year. Samsung only makes its beta builds available in select markets and only for a handful of devices.
Which Samsung devices will get Android 14
Samsung's recent devices will all receive the Android 14 update. Many older models are going to get the update as well, since Samsung now promises four years of Android OS upgrades for compatible devices.
All of Samsung's current leading devices will get Android 13 but they certainly won't be the only ones. The company now provides up to four years of Android OS upgrades to select devices.
