To accompany the release of the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, Google began deploying the update of its mobile OS, Android 14, on October 4. But not for everyone, the new version only concerns a handful of smartphones.
Android 14 is here. Well, not for everyone, but it’s quite common. Taking advantage of the release of its new Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro smartphones (read our article) on October 4, the Mountain View firm has also started to deploy the major update of its Mobile OS. The first devices to be served? Homemade Pixel smartphones of course. Most users of Android smartphones and tablets from other brands will have to wait for their device manufacturers to update their systems to take advantage of it. And here again, only a privileged few will be entitled to the new version of Android…
Which smartphones can accommodate Android 14 right now?
You are never as well served as by yourself. As a result, the first smartphones to welcome the new version of Android are none other than home mobiles, namely the Pixels:
- Pixel 4a
- Pixel 4a (5G)
- Pixel 5
- Pixel 6
- Pixel 6 Pro
- Pixel 6a
- Pixel 7
- Pixel 7 Pro
- Pixel 7a
- Pixel 8
- Pixel 8 Pro
Good news for the Pixel 4a which is part of the list of lucky winners. Its update follow-up was in fact guaranteed until August 2023. It is therefore narrowly caught. We also note that the Pixel TabletGoogle’s in-house Android tablet released last June (read our test), also benefits from the update to the new OS.
The list of other smartphones that can already accommodate Android 14 is quite short. It is currently limited to models from the Chinese Xiaomi:
- Xiaomi 12T
- Xiaomi 13
- Xiaomi 13 Pro
As for other manufacturers, the deployment plans for the new version of Android are more vague. Certainly, most today tend to extend the tracking of major system updates beyond two years but nothing says that they will offer the new OS shortly after its official release. They must in fact rework their software overlay (OneUI for Samsung, MagicOS for Honor, etc.) to take into account – or not – the new features of Android. We already know that Samsung’s OneUI 6, still being tested on the S23 range of its Galaxy smartphones, should shortly follow the release of Android 14. The models from the two previous years (S22 and S21) should follow suit as well as the Flip (Flip3, 4 and 5) and Fold (Fold3, 4 and 5) ranges. Some models from the A range are also affected but it is difficult to know at the moment when they will benefit from the update. Likewise, other manufacturers such as Motorola, Vivo, OnePlus or even Oppo for example have not yet commented on the progress of the integration of Android 14 into their devices. However, in recent years, we have noticed that manufacturers are dragging their feet less and less in releasing major system updates.
What’s new in Android 14?
Since the very first public beta version, in spring 2023, Android 14 has evolved significantly. Google’s new system now supports, just like iOS, emergency communications by satellite when the traditional telephone network (GSM) is absent (in uncovered areas such as the sea, desert, mountains, etc.) . Pixel 8 smartphones will be compatible. It is up to other mobile manufacturers to include the necessary hardware elements in their devices. Furthermore, Android 14 should also make it possible to locate compatible devices even when they are turned off using a permanently turned on Bluetooth device (a bit like on iPhones).
In the security department, Android 14 should fully support passkeys (access keys) for simplified password management (read our article). Furthermore, to strengthen security, the new OS will no longer allow the downloading of apps designed for old versions of Android. A choice which primarily targets downloads of apps outside the PlayStore which may contain malware. A function that supports the control of applications requesting access to accessibility options. This is a sensitive aspect of Android that can give control of many smartphone settings to third-party applications. These will be visibly analyzed by Play Protect (the protection system integrated into the PlayStore) to assess the relevance of these access requests. The purpose being “prevent unintentional execution of critical actions (such as transferring money or paying in a shopping app)“, as Google points out.
Among the other new features we note, among others, the appearance of the Health Connect app which centralizes health data collected by the various third-party apps as well as connected watches and bracelets, the possibility of creating wallpapers based on emojis (on Pixels) or even the possibility of using the camera flash to witness the arrival of notifications.