57 points

So wallpapers, clock changes on lock screen, and updated credential manager which I assume is the latest push for Passkeys.

That qualifies a major version change? It kinda sucks that we’ve stagnated in mobile OS improvements. You just don’t really see anything radically different or innovative anymore.

permalink
report
reply
32 points

Feature wise most mobile OS’s are pretty mature so it’s only natural to see less “improvements” compared to the early days.

Use your favourite Lemmy client for example, the first month of development every release brought a bunch of new features and improvements but these days the releases are all pretty small.

permalink
report
parent
reply
5 points

That’s fair. I’ve switched to thinking of it like a rolling release. This is the latest edition. It’s like a maintenance release with the few treats baked in rather than the bare minimum security patches.

permalink
report
parent
reply
9 points

Also cloned apps which is big for me

permalink
report
parent
reply
4 points

I think that didn’t make into Android 14

permalink
report
parent
reply
1 point

See am I crazy or didn’t google say this was a thing coming ages ago?

Also disabling apps. Am I also crazy or did that come and go and only ever work on certain ones? I really do sometimes find it useful to disable apps instead of uninstalling them. When you uninstall you need to configure them all over again when you do the reinstall.

permalink
report
parent
reply
1 point

Cloned apps?

permalink
report
parent
reply
5 points

Having 2 different instances of the same app. Samsung provides this for most messaging apps.

permalink
report
parent
reply
8 points

Because when someone tries to be radical and innovative everyone screams “GIMMICK! JUST GIVE ME AN UPDATE THAT ADDS BASIC FEATURES!”

permalink
report
parent
reply
4 points
*

What would be considered radical according to you, then?

Not that I disagree with you, though…

permalink
report
parent
reply
25 points
  • Significant battery life improvements

  • Granular Internet Acess Control (Give users option to prohibit apps from connecting to data or Wi-Fi)

  • Something native like KDE Connect or Your Phone from Microsoft

  • Something like Samsung Dex

  • Unlimited Paypal money generator

There are so many things Google could do.

permalink
report
parent
reply
4 points
*

I’m on board with the unlimited PayPal money generator.

For the battery life, honestly I could live with phones being 2mm thicker for 24 more hours of battery power. But people (or companies) are obsessed with slim devices.

permalink
report
parent
reply
1 point

Maybe I’m confused on the KDE connect part, but you can install KDE connect on windows.

Dex is cool, wanted this too, I’d probably make good use of this type of capability on the steam deck instead though.

permalink
report
parent
reply
6 points

Samsung Dex, coming to Android when the Pixel 8 releases.

permalink
report
parent
reply
1 point

That’s actually a really cool feature, and I’m surprised this wasn’t done before given how powerful phones have been for some time now.

permalink
report
parent
reply
2 points
Deleted by creator
permalink
report
parent
reply
-1 points

We? No, there’s a tonne of innovation still to be had, but when the goal is profits, it’s easier to play it safe and protect those margins.

permalink
report
parent
reply
27 points

What happened to the webcam-over-USB feature that was promised? Just updated to 14 and went into charge-settings but no webcam option. Tried two USB-cables and both mac and Windows but no go. Was this confirmed to be scrapped? Was my most hyped feature 😭

permalink
report
reply
11 points

It’s listed on their official update video so it does exist. But it says “on compatible devices and countries” so might only be on the newest phones so far?

https://youtu.be/wEVaHobjbPw

permalink
report
parent
reply
5 points

Here is an alternative Piped link(s):

https://piped.video/wEVaHobjbPw

Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.

I’m open-source; check me out at GitHub.

permalink
report
parent
reply
3 points

I’m on Pixel 6a so not ancient… Seems like it will release in another update before year end so here’s hoping 🙏

permalink
report
parent
reply
8 points

It’s in the next QPR update.

permalink
report
parent
reply
1 point

Thx, then I’ll just have to wait a bit longer.

permalink
report
parent
reply
1 point

I think it’s in the current QPR beta. You need to register for the beta program, which will give you access to the new features they’re testing for the December feature drop.

permalink
report
parent
reply
1 point

Thx, I’ll just wait it out then. At least it’s not scrapped.

permalink
report
parent
reply
26 points
*

I hope it has the ability to remove the Google search bar from the home screen

EDIT: got the update, still can’t get rid of the search bar on the default launcher :(

permalink
report
reply
19 points

You could always use a different launcher to do this. I like Nova Launcher, but there are lots of good options.

permalink
report
parent
reply

Nova being bought out by a third party ad company made that a no go for me nowadays :(

permalink
report
parent
reply
6 points

KISS launcher FTW. I could never go back to a standard launcher now.

permalink
report
parent
reply
2 points

You can still use the APK of the version before the buyout. That’s what I’m doing until I find a mature replacement

permalink
report
parent
reply
9 points

Custom launchers are a huge no to me if they don’t support Quickswitch… thanks again to Google/Android for breaking the animations…

I hope that A14 fixes this.

permalink
report
parent
reply
6 points

In loving Kvaesitso. It integrates really well with Nextcloud and Google Drive. And has a ton of other cool features.

permalink
report
parent
reply
2 points

My current goto for an alternate launcher is Ruthless Launcher

permalink
report
parent
reply
1 point

lawnchair works best for me atm but it’s really out of date and hasn’t been updated in ages 😭

permalink
report
parent
reply
Avatar
ink@r.nf
5 points

Search and ads are their bread and butter, Android is there to get you personalized ads. They’re not going to give them up as defaults.

They even mess up split screen when you choose a different launcher. that’s just a dark pattern to make you use google more

permalink
report
parent
reply
3 points

It doesn’t. I would really like that too…

permalink
report
parent
reply
2 points

yeah I just finished updating and found out 😩

permalink
report
parent
reply
2 points

Huh, the update is going out to 4a 5G but not the 4G version… Is my phone already depreciated?

permalink
report
reply
3 points

Yup. Came out a few months before the 4a 5G:
https://endoflife.date/pixel

permalink
report
parent
reply
2 points

Didn’t expect a lot out of A14 tbh. I think that Operating Systems have matured to become mostly an intermediary between the user and apps as opposed to the conductor. As long as they stay out of the way, most users will be content.

Personally tho, I wouldn’t be surprised if 15 is a huge release. Right now, the next frontier seems to obviously be transitioning phones towards AI personal assistants and w/ full integration. Microsoft is already leading the charge from the desktop OS front, but phones imo will be the most familiar integration opportunity.

permalink
report
reply

Android

!android@lemdro.id

Create post

The new home of /r/Android on Lemmy and the Fediverse!

Android news, reviews, tips, and discussions about rooting, tutorials, and apps.

🔗Universal Link: !android@lemdro.id


💡Content Philosophy:

Content which benefits the community (news, rumours, and discussions) is generally allowed and is valued over content which benefits only the individual (technical questions, help buying/selling, rants, self-promotion, etc.) which will be removed if it’s in violation of the rules.


Support, technical, or app related questions belong in: !askandroid@lemdro.id

For fresh communities, lemmy apps, and instance updates: !lemdroid@lemdro.id

💬Matrix Chat

💬Telegram channels / chats

📰Our communities below


Rules

  1. Stay on topic: All posts should be related to the Android OS or ecosystem.

  2. No support questions, recommendation requests, rants, or bug reports: Posts must benefit the community rather than the individual. Please post to !askandroid@lemdro.id.

  3. Describe images/videos, no memes: Please include a text description when sharing images or videos. Post memes to !androidmemes@lemdro.id.

  4. No self-promotion spam: Active community members can post their apps if they answer any questions in the comments. Please do not post links to your own website, YouTube, blog content, or communities.

  5. No reposts or rehosted content: Share only the original source of an article, unless it’s not available in English or requires logging in (like Twitter). Avoid reposting the same topic from other sources.

  6. No editorializing titles: You can add the author or website’s name if helpful, but keep article titles unchanged.

  7. No piracy or unverified APKs: Do not share links or direct people to pirated content or unverified APKs, which may contain malicious code.

  8. No unauthorized polls, bots, or giveaways: Do not create polls, use bots, or organize giveaways without first contacting mods for approval.

  9. No offensive or low-effort content: Don’t post offensive or unhelpful content. Keep it civil and friendly!

  10. No affiliate links: Posting affiliate links is not allowed.

Quick Links

Our Communities
Lemmy App List
Chat and More

Community stats

  • 2.8K

    Monthly active users

  • 2.7K

    Posts

  • 34K

    Comments