Android 14 review: There’s always next year

Does anyone care about Android 14?

This 12 months’s launch of the world’s hottest working system appears like one of many smallest ever, bringing only a handful of latest options. Even in the course of the Android portion of Google’s large I/O keynote, Google spent most of its time displaying off a brand new generative AI function that creates wallpapers for you, as if there aren’t sufficient wallpapers on this planet.

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 positive. We nonetheless have a couple of issues to go over, although, like new lock display screen customizations, genuinely thrilling modifications to the best way the again button works, and a pile of under-the-hood modifications.

The brand new emblem

First up is a brand new emblem! Android’s final large 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, normally a disembodied head subsequent to the Android wordmark, is getting its physique again. The bugdroid is now totally rendered in 3D, and consistent with Google’s Materials Design tips, it is available in quite a lot of colours and kinds. In case you ask me, bugdroid in 3D seems a bit pudgy.

Within the movies on Google’s redesign blog post, a “Google Android” emblem occupies the display screen for a very good period of time. I’ve by no means seen these two manufacturers collectively as a single wordmark, and widespread utilization of it will definitely be a change. Some individuals confuse the Android model with the “Android Open Supply Mission” and suppose it is some sort of free-to-use emblem, however Android is a trademark of Google, and you can’t use it until you license the Google Play apps. So “Google Android” is completely acceptable.

I’ve by no means truly seen the Android emblem wherever on this planet outdoors of tech information, so I am undecided who that is for. Even when you get a Pixel cellphone, you will not see the Android emblem on the field or within the software program. The one spot to catch it in the true world is in a tiny “powered by Android” message on the not often seen cellphone boot display screen. It is like a branding system completely for Google weblog posts and commerce exhibits.

The (considerably) customizable lock display screen

iOS 16’s headline function was its new lock screen widgets, and it appears Android desires in on the motion, too. Android initially had lock display screen widgets again in 2012 with Android 4.2, however they have been eliminated only a few years later in model 5.0. Lock display screen 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 look in Android 15 or 16.

What we now have in Android 14’s lock display screen is a selectable clock fashion and two shortcuts you may decide from. You possibly can long-press on the lock display screen, and a “customise” button will pop up, letting you decide from seven completely different clock kinds. You possibly can select the clock’s colour, and a colour slider allows you to alter issues additional. “Distinction” is not the proper phrase for the slider, however the left aspect is a frivolously tinted almost-black, the proper aspect is a frivolously tinted almost-white, and a full, wealthy colour 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 features 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 screen 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 would have a number of choices. It ought to simply be all of your apps and fast settings buttons—due to themed icons, there must be acceptable one-color choices for all of those now. Between this shortcut setting, the fast settings “edit” UI, and the app drawer/house display screen, that is three “shortcut” UIs the place you decide a number of gadgets from an enormous bucket of icons. Google ought to simply decide one UI and roll with it in every single place.

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