Google has just released the first developer preview of Android 14. The system is packed with small changes, but it shows that the Search Giant wants to continue perfecting it for foldable screens and introduce even more robust security and privacy options.
Developer Preview 1 (or “DP1”) is the first public version of Android 14. It is a build intended exclusively for developers interested in learning about Google’s plans for the operating system. The start of testing with the OS was scheduled in August last year, based on the end of the trial period for Android 13.
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What’s New in Android 14
As it is the first preliminary version of the operating system, little new is “palpable” by the end user. Most changes are unobtrusive, or hidden in the software structure.
Focus on bigger screens
Among the most interesting news are the scalability improvements of Android 14. Google wants to make the operating system even better in supporting larger screens (tablets and foldables), improving the work already done in Android 12L and 13.
The focus this time will be to make it easier to optimize applications for different types of screens. The idea is that developers don’t have to spend as much time adapting programs to the different formats supported by Android.
In personalization, Google also seems to focus on the adaptability of Android 14. The system allows you to increase fonts by up to 200% of the original size, well more than the 130% currently supported.
“To mitigate issues where text becomes too large, starting with Android 14, a non-linear font scaling curve is automatically applied. This ensures that text that is already large enough does not grow at the same rate as the text smaller,” explained Google.
API for grammatical genders
An API was added to make it easier to adapt applications to languages that contain grammatical genders, such as Portuguese.
Security and privacy
Another change in the structure of the operating system is the prevention of installing applications with targetSdkVersion less than 23 (referring to Android 6.0, released in 2015). The change is discreet and should not significantly impact the average user’s routine, but it is important for application maintenance.
Discrete optimizations
The Android 14 developer preview is packed with minor structural optimizations to provide better battery life and make the experience smoother. Many of these changes are native, but some are conditions for developers to implement in apps to make the experience better.
Android 14 developer preview support
The Google Developer Preview has an extremely limited compatibility list, but is widely available to testers. From the Pixel 4a (5G), any device in the Pixel line is compatible with the experimental version of the operating system.
Release schedule
Along with unveiling the first preview of Android 14, Google unveiled the OS update stream. Obviously, the schedule starts in February with the preview for developers that lasts until March of this year and, between April and July, the system will enter the Beta phase.
It is not known when the final version of Android 14 will be released, but if Google follows the tradition, it should appear in September or October of this year.