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Android 14 Features
Google introduced the new Android 14 operating system for Pixel smartphones and the system images are available on the Developer Preview channel. The company plans to reach the Platform Stability milestone by July 2023, followed by Stable deployment in late July or early August.
On February 8, the Android maker released the very initial build (Developer Preview 1) of the latest version of its mobile platform. It’s a developer-centric version, which comes with under-the-hood changes and new APIs to help app developers understand and grow the ecosystem.
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Developer Preview
Let’s explore Android 14 Features (DP 1) [Source – Mishaal Rahman]
Predictive back gesture
Android 14’s brand-new predictive back gesture allows you to preview where you’re going when you swipe back. To be mentioned, Android 13 just shows preview swipes back to the home screen. Have a look:
Android 14 is introducing a predictive back gesture that will let you preview where you're going when you swipe back. In Android 13, you could only preview swipes back to the home screen. In Android 14 DP1, you can preview cross-task and in-app transitions! Here's a demo: pic.twitter.com/roAawuIxE2
— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) February 8, 2023
Vibrant “Basic colours” in Color Palette
The first DP build of Android 14 introduces more vibrant “Basic colours” options in the Wallpaper and style section. It looks like, the company has tweaked the first four-color carousel with brighter, more visually stand-out options.
Apps installed in the background
This is a new feature introduced by Android 14 DP, which lists apps that are sideloaded in the background, without your permission. You can check and uninstall them as they are not necessary for your phone to work normally.
Fast Pair
Samsung introduced the Galaxy S23 series, which brings Google’s Fast Pair feature out of the box. This feature has now arrived in the “Connection preferences” section, courtesy of the Android 14 Developer Preview 1.
Integrated Health Connect
Android 14 has integrated Google’s Health Connect platform, which is currently available through an installable application. The DP1 has a new Mainline module called Health Connect that contains the Health Connect app.
Prevention to install old apps
Android 14 will now warn you when you install an app that targets API level 27 or lower (ie. Android 8.1 or older). The threshold that triggered this warning was previously set at API level 22 (Android 5.1) in Android 10.
Tweaked “Security & privacy” section
The new OS brings a handful of minor changes to the Security & privacy section such as the addition of a new subpage for subheadings instead of dropdown menus.
Battery Saver UI
Android 14 comes with a couple of changes to the Battery section and operation of the Battery Saver UI. The Battery Saver section now has Basic and Extreme battery-saving options along with an integrated Adaptive tool.
Screen time in Battery usage section
Ditched with Android 12, Android 14 Developer Preview 1 brings back the ability to see just how long your screen has been on since your last full charge.
Taskbar text labels on larger displays
Android 12L brought the nifty Taskbar feature for large-screen devices such as tablets and foldables. Android 14 DP1 now shows text names below dock app icons in the taskbar on screens with a tablet DPI of 600+.
Advanced memory protection
Mishaal Rahman spotted that Android 14 is adding a new beta feature called “advanced memory protection” that “helps you protect your device from bugs that may put your security at risk.”
Hearing devices
In the new OS, there is a dedicated settings page for hearing devices at Settings > Accessibility > Hearing devices. It lets you pair a new hearing aid device, enable a shortcut to these settings, and toggle “hearing aid compatibility”.
One UI-inspired Cloned Apps
Android 14 is preparing to add a One UI-inspired app cloning feature. Many OEMs/third-party apps offer this functionality already, but it’s nice to see work on this in Google’s version of Android for Pixel phones.
Owners of select Samsung Smart TVs, monitors, The Premiere 7 & 9 projectors, or The Freestyle 2nd Gen can stream Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Flight Simulator 2024 and hundreds of other games with Gaming Hub Xbox Game Pass.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Flight Simulator 2024 are two of the most popular games of 2024. Thanks to Samsung Gaming Hub, you don’t need to download any of the Xbox Game Pass titles, no meaning no storage required – just jump in and play.
The company has also built an engaging gameplay experience designed by fans, for fans through The Six, challenging players’ knowledge and providing another way to interact with the world of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
Notably, Samsung’s Gaming Hub is available on a variety of Samsung screens. It includes the AI-powered 2024 TV lineup, monitors, projectors, The Premiere, and The Freestyle 2nd Gen projector, offering instant access to console-free gaming.
Anyone with a Samsung Smart TV will be able to use their remote to jump in and play. This way, Gaming Hub provides a co-branded experience, giving Call of Duty fans another way to engage with the franchise they love.
For starters: The Six offers daily trivia where players can answer a series of six questions in competition with other players around the world. Correct answers with the fastest response time will achieve higher scores.
Samsung could launch the Galaxy ixi-O AI Phone next year. The company has collaborated with LG Uplus to develop a custom smartphone. The device is said to feature Galaxy AI and LG Uplus’s AI call assistant ixi-O.
Sources citing KEDGlobal revealed that Samsung and LG Uplus working together to develop the Galaxy ixi-O AI Phone. It’s a big development in the smartphone industry, while the handset is highly likely to be Korea-limited.
Samsung fans are well aware of the Galaxy AI feature suite. ixi-O is an AI-powered digital assistant developed by Korean carrier LG Uplus. The company plans to enter the smartphone market, featuring its own-developed AI assistant.
The report indicates that Samsung and LG Uplus’ ixi-O AI Phone will launch as early as next year. The development project focuses on crafting a “real AI phone” that goes beyond simply integrating AI assistant services into a smartphone.
ixi-O comes with useful features such as AI call answering, detecting voice phishing in real-time, recording and summarizing phone calls and converting voice conversation into text – all within an on-device environment.
Image: ixi-O AI | LG Uplus Newsroom
Based on specifications, the Galaxy ixi-O AI Phone will be based on a Galaxy phone available globally. The design will match with a global Galaxy smartphone, but the software may be tweaked as per the carrier’s requirements.
A custom Galaxy phone isn’t shocking or impossible in South Korea. Samsung releases Quantum, Buddy, and Jump-branded phones in the market. The company collaborates with Korean carriers to bring these devices to mainland Korea.
The carrier introduced an on-device AI-powered ixi-O assistant earlier this month. LG Uplus will initially target its consumer base for the new AI Phone. However, the AI Assistant may be expanded to a broader audience across Korea.
Samsung could use Gauss2-based Galaxy AI on the Galaxy S25 Ultra. The company’s next-gen Generative AI model is 1.5 to 3x faster than the first-gen Gauss model. The DX division is already using Gauss2 to ramp up internal productivity.
Gauss2 offers improved performance and efficiency in simultaneously handling various data types. In the previous article, we’ve demonstrated its three distinct models that cater to different purposes: Compact, Balanced, and Supreme.
Samsung says the second-gen Gauss model offers equal or superior performance in response generation than leading open-source generative AI models. That said, the Galaxy AI will become faster and smarter with the inclusion of Gauss2.
Thanks to faster processing speed, Gauss2 enables quicker AI response generation. This way, the Galaxy user won’t have to wait much time. The company stated that it will continue to expand the reach of its AI-based services across all product lines.
That said, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is likely to boast Gauss2-based Galaxy AI. This upgrade will result in even faster processing of tasks and execution. Features like composition, image generation, and translation would benefit from Gauss2.
Earlier, we broke the news that Samsung is crafting an advanced AI technology. The Gauss2 press release indicates that the future Galaxy AI iteration could be integrated with knowledge graph technology to offer relevant results.
The Galaxy S24 series also uses Google’s Gemini Nano AI model. The fruitful collaboration offers futuristic capabilities on Galaxy devices. Samsung is rumored to use an enhanced version of Gemini Nano across the Galaxy S25 lineup.
Meanwhile, Samsung’s development may have indulged Gauss2 capabilities on the Galaxy S25 series. Integrated with new processors and optimized software, the company’s AI model would offer faster, reliable, and smarter results.