❤ Android 14 beta
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Samsung’s first Android 14 beta could launch in late July
Google is pushing along with Android 14 for Pixel phones, with the third beta out. But, soon, Samsung might join in on the fun, with a new report claiming the company’s first Android 14 beta
could arrive in late July.
Samsung has been opening public beta programs for new Android versions for the past few years, with customers able to get in on the latest version of One UI a few months ahead of the formal launch. And, each year, it’s been happening earlier and earlier.
According to the folks over at SamMobile, we can expect the first Android 14 beta with One UI 6.0 from Samsung sometime next month. Specifically, the outlet claims, in the third week of July. That’d put the release sometime between July 17 and July 21.
That’s a couple of weeks ahead of last year, with the Android 13/One UI 5.0 beta from Samsung having opened on August 5, with an official announcement a day later. It was also just days ahead of the launch of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Flip 4. And, not so ironically, the same thing is happening this time around. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Flip 5 are confirmed to be coming at an event during the last week of July, apparently on July 27.
We still don’t know much about Samsung’s take on Android 14, but an app update teased new colors for the company’s version of Material You, and Samsung previously confirmed it was working with Google to improve how One UI handles background apps with this update. The update will likely be made available first to the Galaxy S23 series.
Galaxy S23 One UI 6 beta coming the 3rd week of July!
Samsung fans have been waiting patiently to get a taste of Android 14. Google released the developer beta of the next major iteration earlier this year. Since Samsung has its own beta program, users have to wait for the One UI 6.0 beta to arrive.
The company’s beta program may be beginning sooner rather than later this year. We hear that the One UI 6.0 beta for the Galaxy S23 series will start rolling out in the 3rd week of July. Other compatible devices will receive the beta soon thereafter.
Time to start counting down the days for the One UI 6.0 beta!
We reported a few days ago that it’s possible that the first One UI 6.0 beta update may be released as soon as the Android 14 betas achieve stability. With Android 14 Beta 3, the software has now reached Platform Stability level, meaning that Samsung can now go ahead and launch its beta program.
The company has already been laying the groundwork for this. It started updating apps with One UI 6.0 support a few weeks ago. It’s a great sign for people who own Samsung One UI 6.0 compatible devices that they’ll soon be able to experience the latest Android and One UI version.
Based on what we hear, it’s likely that Samsung will release the first One UI 6.0 beta build for the Galaxy S23 series in the third week of July. The beta will gradually be rolled out for other devices as well. July is shaping up to be a busy month for Samsung as the company will also be unveiling its new foldable phones on July 27.
The One UI 6.0 beta launch in late July means that we’re definitely looking at a One UI 6.0 public release before the end of this year. If last year’s pace is any indication, Samsung may not make us wait more than a couple of months from the time the beta is rolled out to the final public release.
Samsung app update teases incoming Android 14 beta and new Material You colors
Android 14 is still in development but chugging along on Pixel phones and select other devices. Behind the scenes, though, Samsung is also working up Android 14, which is expected to be called One UI 6.0, and a recent app update is giving some hints on the company’s progress.
As spotted by Tarun Vats on Twitter, an update to the Samsung Calculator directly offers some hints at Samsung’s work on Android 14.
Breaking News :: OneUI 6 Beta
We can expect OneUI 6 Public beta launch by June end or July starting as we got Major hint from Samsung as they starts upgrading their apps to support Android 14. Also OneUI 6 may bring new color Pallete 🥳🥳#OneUI6 #GalaxyS23 #GalaxyS23Ultra pic.twitter.com/bGIw8ciO6V
— Tarun Vats (@tarunvats33) May 31, 2023
The update’s changelog, seemingly since removed from the Galaxy Store, mentions that the app now supports Android 14’s API level. The timing here suggests that Samsung’s earliest Android 14 releases may not be too far away, but there’s no indication on when at this point. One UI 5’s early betas launched in early August 2022.
The changelog also hints that Samsung’s take on Material You – Color Palette – will get at least one new option in One UI 6. It’s not clear what that option might be, but we previously reported that Android 14 would add a new “Fidelity” style that brings out bold colors. It could be that Samsung is adopting that style too.
Samsung has also confirmed, with Google, that its Android 14 builds will also focus on improving the handling of background apps, a long-standing problem with the company’s software.
Samsung commits to killing background apps less often with Android 14, One UI 6.0
One complaint that Android app developers (and end users) have are the differing “restrictions on foreground services and background work” across devices. Google is addressing background inconsistencies with Android 14 and will be getting buy-in from Samsung.
Right now, some OEMs are very aggressive about killing background apps to save battery life. This can lead to applications breaking and end users blaming developers for a poor experience. Said app devs are already following Android’s guidance, but working around each OEM restriction/inconsistency is not feasible or even possible.
Google’s goal starting with Android 14 is to “make it easier for developers to create apps that work consistently across different Android devices.”
Looking to solve these consistency challenges, we are announcing deeper partnerships with Android hardware manufacturers to help ensure APIs for background work are supported predictably and consistently across the ecosystem.
Samsung is described as the “first partner” today, with One UI 6.0 making it so that “foreground services of apps targeting Android 14 will be guaranteed to work as intended so long as they are developed according to Android’s new foreground service API policy.”
To strengthen the Android platform, our collaboration with Google has resulted in a unified policy that we expect will create a more consistent and reliable user experience for Galaxy users.
—SAMSUNG
With Android 14, Google (with DP1) announced a trio of changes:
- “A new requirement to declare foreground service types and request type-specific permissions, which clarify when it’s reasonable to use foreground services.”
- “The new user-initiated data transfer job type, which makes the experience of managing large user-initiated uploads and downloads smoother by leveraging JobScheduler’s constraints (e.g. network constraints such as unmetered WiFi).”
- “New Google Play policies to ensure appropriate use of foreground services and the user-initiated data transfer jobs.”
Developers are encouraged to send feedback (Issue Tracker) on the Android 14 APIs, as well as contribute CTS-D tests to “help catch consistency issues.”
Lastly, If you see behavior differences across Android devices, be sure to file a ticket using goo.gle/devicespecificissue to bring it to our attention.
Pixel phone Here’s everything new in Android 14 Beta 3
Android 14 Beta 3 for Pixel phones is now available after the last update four weeks ago was somewhat quiet.
We’re diving into all of Android 14 Beta 3’s new features and every single change. (The newest updates will be at the top of this list. Be sure to check back often and tell us what you find in the comments below.) Beta 2 screenshots appear on the left and Beta32 at the right.
Expect at least three more releases before the consumer launch later this year to Pixel phones. If you want to quickly install the Android 14 Beta 3 on your compatible Pixel 4a 5G, Pixel 5, Pixel 5a, Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6a, Pixel 7, and Pixel 7 Pro be sure to check out our step-by-step guide.
For reference, here’s everything new in Android 14 Developer Preview 1, DP2, Beta 1, and Beta 2.
Tapping the time in Quick Settings opens the Google Clock Alarm tab
New charging indicator
More color in themed icons
‘UpsideDownCake’ to Android 14
‘Touch’ to ‘Tap & click sounds’
More Material You toggles
Customizable lockscreen clocks and shortcuts
Chrome prototyping Android 14 Predictive Back support to show last page
Predictive Back will be one of the most apparent user-facing changes this fall. As work continues, Google at I/O 2023 shared how some developers, including Chrome, might adopt Predictive Back in Android 14.
Predictive Back shows a preview of the homescreen as you swipe away from the edge and the current app shrinks. According to a study Google conducted, back-to-home animations “significantly reduces users accidentally leaving apps and feels more premium.”
You can test it today in Android 13 (Settings app > System > Developer options > Predictive back animations). Google is set to enable it by default with Android 14, but it’s still optional as of Beta 2.
Android 14 adds in-app Predictive Back, where you can get a preview of what screen you’re returning to when navigating within an app. In addition to the cross-activity animation Calendar demo, Google provided “key moment” examples at I/O:
- Reddit is experimenting with collapsing a post as you swipe back to the feed.
- Chrome is “prototyping previewing the previous web page as [you] swipe back.”
To aid adoption, developers can now “opt in to predictive back system animations per-Activity instead of for the entire app.”
Meanwhile, Material components are also leveraging Predictive Back animations in:
- Side Sheets (nav drawer): “Side sheet detaches from the top and bottom edges of the screen to signal it will close.”
- Search: Fullscreen search page shrinks and snaps back into pill-shaped bar on previous screen.
- Bottom Sheets: Sheet shrinks and drops down.
It’s also soon coming to the bottom navigation bar and nav rail.
