Google has released the first developer preview of Android 14. This is my first look at the next version of the OS. We also see a new logo design that looks like it was inspired by NASA’s space mission patch. Android 14 focuses on optimizing background processing for optimal resource consumption and improved battery life.
The new OS version is made with tablets and foldables in mind. Google says Android 14 “builds on the work done on Android 12L and Android 13, supporting tablet and foldable form factors.”
Security is a big part of every new Android release, and version 14 blocks installation/sideloading of older Android apps targeting older versions of the OS. Specifically, Android 14 will not let you install apps with a targetSdkVersion lower than level 23, which corresponds to Android 6.
Google also has a number of system-level security enhancements, such as runtime receivers and read-only dynamic code loading, to prevent possible code injections. It also comes with Credential Manager and Passkey support to make authentication and password management easier.
Android 14 comes with a great accessibility feature called non-linear font scaling. The user can scale the system font to 200% and the OS will apply a certain scaling even to small submenu text items. Android 14 also offers new personalization options that build on the work seen in the Material You design introduced in Android 12.
Non-linear font scaling in Android 14
Android 14 Developer Preview 2 is scheduled for release in March, and Google will continue to release new developer releases each month through July. A second Android 14 stable release will follow, followed by a consumer version around August or September.
Android 14 DP 1 is compatible with Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 7, Pixel 6a, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6, Pixel 5a 5G, Pixel 5, Pixel 4a 5G. You can visit the official Android developer portal to download system images for your specific device.
sauce
