Does anyone care about Android 14?

This 12 months’s launch of the world’s hottest working system looks like one of many smallest ever, bringing only a handful of recent options. Even throughout the Android portion of Google’s massive I/O keynote, Google spent most of its time exhibiting off a brand new generative AI characteristic that creates wallpapers for you, as if there aren’t sufficient wallpapers on the earth.

Final 12 months’s Android 13 launch felt small, however that was as a result of it was the second main Android OS launch that 12 months. Android 12L—the massive pill and foldable launch—got here out earlier. What’s Android 14’s excuse? We’re not likely certain. We nonetheless have a number of issues to go over, although, like new lock display customizations, genuinely thrilling modifications to the best way the again button works, and a pile of under-the-hood modifications.

The brand new brand

First up is a brand new brand! Android’s final massive rebranding occurred with Android 10, and only a few years later, it is time for a brand new coat of paint. The wordmark is now capitalized, and the little Android “bugdroid” mascot, often a disembodied head subsequent to the Android wordmark, is getting its physique again. The bugdroid is now totally rendered in 3D, and in step with Google’s Materials Design pointers, it is available in a wide range of colours and kinds. In case you ask me, bugdroid in 3D appears to be like a bit pudgy.

Within the movies on Google’s redesign weblog put up, a “Google Android” brand occupies the display for an excellent period of time. I’ve by no means seen these two manufacturers collectively as a single wordmark, and widespread utilization of it could actually be a change. Some individuals confuse the Android model with the “Android Open Supply Venture” and suppose it is some type of free-to-use brand, however Android is a trademark of Google, and you may’t use it except you license the Google Play apps. So “Google Android” is completely acceptable.

I’ve by no means truly seen the Android brand wherever on the earth exterior of tech information, so I am unsure who that is for. Even should you get a Pixel cellphone, you will not see the Android brand 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 is like a branding system solely for Google weblog posts and commerce reveals.

The (considerably) customizable lock display

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 only a few 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 seem in Android 15 or 16.

What we now have in Android 14’s lock display is a selectable clock fashion and two shortcuts you may decide from. You possibly can long-press on the lock display, and a “customise” button will pop up, letting you decide from seven completely different clock kinds. You possibly can select the clock’s shade, and a shade slider helps you to regulate issues additional. “Distinction” is not the precise phrase for the slider, however the left aspect is a evenly tinted almost-black, the precise aspect is a evenly tinted almost-white, and a full, wealthy shade is within the center someplace. There’s additionally a “dimension” setting for the clock, which determines if it kicks into full-screen mode when you haven’t any notifications or simply stays small on a regular basis.

You possibly can assign capabilities to 2 left and proper shortcuts, however the choices are surprisingly restricted. You possibly can assign a button to the digital camera, a do-not-disturb toggle, the flashlight, the Google Residence app, Mute, the QR code scanner, the video digital camera, or Google Pockets. That is it—a bizarre seize bag of some fast settings toggles and one or two Google apps.

Nonetheless, it is nice to get an precise settings UI for the lock display shortcuts. Beforehand, 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 acceptable 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 decide a number of objects from a giant bucket of icons. Google ought to simply decide one UI and roll with it in every single place.

Usually, although, the lock display choices really feel like a precursor to one thing extra strong, with app-supplied widgets.