Android 14 was released alongside the Pixel 8 series in October 2023. Now, a few months into the new year, Google has started the testing phase for Android 15, currently at beta version 1.2. This version is primarily aimed at early adopters, and progress is being made.
Android 15: Name and release date
Google abandoned its tradition of naming Android versions after desserts with the release of Android 10, opting instead to use simple version numbers for subsequent releases. Therefore, Android 15 is officially known as just that, though internally, it is codenamed Vanilla Ice Cream.
Google is currently in the process of testing Android 15, having released two developer previews and one beta version. The final stable version is expected to be several months away, with a release schedule that includes additional beta versions through July. This period will mark the point of platform stability for Android 15, meaning no further features or APIs will be introduced, allowing app developers to start testing their applications against the stable public APIs. The focus of upcoming releases will be on refining the system, fixing bugs, and potentially adding minor features.
While Google has not specified a release date for the stable builds of Android 15, it is anticipated that they might launch alongside the Pixel 9 series, potentially in October 2024.
Owners of recent Google Pixel devices will be among the first to receive the Android 15 update. Other manufacturers will require more time to adapt their custom Android UX skins to the new platform. To find out if your phone has received the Android 15 update, you can use our Android 15 update tracker.
Android 15: New UI changes, features, and UX improvements
Android 15 retains a familiar look to its predecessors but introduces several significant updates and new features that have either been officially announced or observed in the latest builds.
- Partial Screen Sharing: Building on a feature first seen in Android 14 QPR 2 for Pixel devices, Android 15 expands the ability to share or record just a single app window instead of the entire screen to more devices across the platform.
- Satellite Connectivity Support: The new update enhances support for satellite connectivity, introducing UI elements to ensure a consistent user experience. Apps can now use APIs to detect satellite connections, broadening the scope of connectivity beyond just emergency uses. Although rumors suggested a partnership with T-Mobile for this feature, Google has yet to confirm any details.
- Notification Cooldown: This new feature in the Notifications settings helps manage the barrage of notifications from apps by reducing the frequency of successive alerts, aiming to reduce user distraction.
- New In-App Camera Controls: Android 15 introduces additional camera hardware control extensions, such as low light enhancements and precise flash strength adjustments, allowing developers more flexibility in photo-taking apps.
- Universal Keyboard Vibration Control: A new toggle has been added that allows users to universally enable or disable keyboard vibrations, overriding individual app settings if desired.
- Sensitive Notifications: To enhance security, Android 15 includes a feature that protects one-time passwords (OTPs) from being accessed by malicious apps, improving the safety of two-factor authentication.
- Bluetooth Popup Dialog: The update enhances Bluetooth functionality with a Quick Settings tile that opens a popup dialog for more granular control over Bluetooth connections, including quick connect and disconnect options for individual devices.
- Auracast Audio Sharing: Building on the LE Audio stream capabilities of Android 14, the new Auracast feature in Android 15 makes it easier to broadcast audio to nearby Auracast-compatible devices without needing to pair them.
- High-Quality Webcam Mode: Android 15 introduces an improved webcam mode that offers enhanced video quality for USB-connected webcams on Pixel devices, though it may increase battery drain and heat.
- Foldable Display Continuity Features: The update brings back and enhances continuity features for foldable devices, allowing users to control how apps behave on the front display when the device is folded.
- Persistent Taskbar for Large-Screen Devices: Responding to user feedback, Android 15 gives users the choice to keep a persistent taskbar on large-screen devices, which can be toggled to stay visible permanently.
- Health Connect Updates: The platform now supports new data types across fitness and nutrition, enhancing the Health Connect ecosystem.
- Virtual MIDI 2.0 Devices: Extending support from USB to virtual apps, Android 15 allows composition apps to control synthesizer apps as virtual MIDI 2.0 devices.
- HDR Headroom Control: Apps can now manage HDR visibility to prevent HDR content from overpowering SDR content on the same screen.
- Loudness Control: Implementing the CTA-2075 loudness standard, Android 15 helps maintain consistent audio levels across different content, reducing the need for manual volume adjustments.
- Edge-to-Edge Apps by Default: Android 15 mandates that apps utilize the full screen by default, aiming for a more immersive user experience.
- Additional Small Changes: These include haptic feedback for display brightness adjustments, improved NFC transaction capabilities, a new PDFRenderer API for enhanced PDF interaction, and updated accessibility settings for physical keyboards.
Android 15 performance improvements
Improvements to the Android Dynamic Performance Framework
Android 15 is enhancing the Android Dynamic Performance Framework (ADPF), a collection of APIs that enable games and performance-intensive applications to better interact with the power and thermal management systems of Android devices. These APIs facilitate more effective monitoring and optimization of system performance, ensuring that devices operate efficiently without overheating.
Key features of ADPF include:
- Thermal-state monitoring: Allows apps to check the thermal condition of the device.
- CPU performance hints: Provides suggestions to apps about how to manage CPU usage for optimal performance.
- Fixed-performance mode: Enables apps to maintain consistent performance levels.
New capabilities introduced in Android 15 for supported devices include:
- Power efficiency mode: During hint sessions, apps can prioritize power saving over performance, which is beneficial for long-running background tasks.
- Work duration reporting for CPU and GPU: Allows apps to report the duration of CPU and GPU usage, helping the system to adjust frequencies optimally to meet the demands of the workload.
- New thermal headroom thresholds: Provides apps with the ability to predict and adjust for potential thermal throttling.
These enhancements allow developers to create applications that perform better on compatible devices, leveraging these APIs for improved efficiency and stability.
App Archiving through Settings
Inspired by iOS's ability to "offload apps," Android 15 introduces a similar feature called app archiving. This feature allows users to free up storage by archiving apps they use infrequently while retaining their data for easy restoration.
Key points about app archiving in Android 15:
- Archive and Restore button: Added to the App Info page, allowing for straightforward archiving and restoration, even for apps installed from sources outside of the Google Play Store.
- Demonstration of efficiency: In a demo, an app initially taking up 387MB was archived down to just 18MB, demonstrating a reduction of 95% in size without loss of user data.
- Automatic and manual archiving options: Users can choose to manually archive apps or enable automatic archiving for seldom-used apps.
- Extended support: Other app stores, beyond Google Play, can implement this feature if they adopt the necessary app formats.
Locking WebView into Memory
Android 15 Developer Preview 1 introduces a change where the trichrome library used by Android System WebView is locked into memory. This adjustment is designed to improve the performance of apps that rely on WebView for displaying internet content, particularly on devices with less RAM, by reducing the frequency at which the WebView process is terminated during RAM management.
Additional Enhancements
- New APIs: Android 15 includes APIs that allow apps to monitor their startup and stop states, and display detailed information about their size.
- Disable default frame rate for games: A new setting in the Developer Options allows the disabling of the frame rate limit of 60Hz for games, catering to games that can benefit from higher frame rates.
- Edge-to-edge apps by default: Apps optimized for Android 15 will display content edge-to-edge by default, eliminating the need for developers to use additional classes to extend content beyond system bars.
These updates in Android 15 aim to improve user experience, enhance performance, and provide developers with more control and flexibility in app development.
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