Android 14 is now official, however Google is already wanting forward of subsequent 12 months, and meaning Android 15. Though it launched a number of new AI-based options, Android 14 turned out to be an incremental replace, and it did not embrace all of the options that Google confirmed off in early beta builds.

Having used the Android 14 beta extensively alongside all the foremost Android skins — One UI 6, ColorOS 13, and MIUI 14 — here is a brief record of what I need to see in Android 15.

Android 15 wants floating home windows

ColorOS and MIUI rolled out floating home windows three years in the past, and it’s a helpful utility that permits you to maximize display screen actual property. Floating home windows basically permits you to resize any app in order that it suits on the show with out taking on its complete width, and it may be overlaid onto one other app, making it fairly handy to make use of. My greatest use case is launching the calculator in a floating window at any time when I want so as to add up a number of issues, and it really works exceedingly effectively on this state of affairs.

If Google is wanting so as to add floating home windows to Android 15, it ought to take into account taking a look at ColorOS’ implementation and never MIUI. In all its knowledge, Xiaomi thought it greatest to have floating home windows enabled as default, with no solution to flip off the function. Which means that everytime you pull down on a notification, it opens in a floating window, and I’ve had a number of situations over time the place I inadvertently launched floating home windows with out which means to.

Google must ship higher icon customization

Google launched themed icons in Android 12 (albeit in beta), and two years after launch, the function continues to be half-baked at greatest. The issue is not all the way down to Google, however devs — as this function is not mandated, most app makers nonetheless select to disregard it, and it makes the house display screen look much less cohesive. Even well-known providers like Evernote do not provide the function, and whereas that is extra to do with the state of Evernote, it is annoying to not have all icons make the most of the function.

Whereas Google’s at it, if it might probably roll out the flexibility to alter icon form and dimension, that will be implausible. I am nonetheless irritated at how little customization is accessible on a Pixel telephone on this specific regard, and actually must do higher.

Google ought to steal Display Distance from iOS

Display Distance is a intelligent new function in iOS 17 that makes use of the entrance digital camera to find out in the event you’re holding your telephone too near your eyes. The aim right here is to scale back eye pressure, and if the digital camera detects that you just’re utilizing your machine nearer than 12 inches out of your face, it triggers a full-screen alert asking you to maneuver your telephone or pill additional away.

This function proved to be fairly helpful on the iPhone 15 Professional Max, and I discovered that I had a bent to carry the telephone a bit of nearer at evening. Display Distance is designed to scale back danger of myopia in youngsters, however in the event you have a tendency to make use of your telephone in mattress loads, it may be fairly a helpful device. Google must deliver an analogous utility to Android, and provided that it makes use of the digital camera to gauge distance, it should not be exhausting to implement.

At all times On Show must be higher

Google’s tackle an At all times On Show has at all times been lackluster, and Android 14 would not do a lot to alter that. You solely get the choice to indicate time and date when selecting an always-on display screen, and when you get notification icons on the backside, there’s no customization potential.

Different interfaces, in the meantime, provide in depth customizability on this space. I just like the vary of kinds out there in ColorOS and the truth that I can design my very own sample that reveals up on the lock display screen, and whereas One UI would not provide a lot out of the field, you possibly can at all times set up Good Lock and unlock a slate of customization choices.

Give us app cloning already

Most Android manufacturers provide the choice to clone an app so you possibly can run two situations of it. That is helpful in the event you’ve received two SIM playing cards and need to totally make the most of messaging providers like WhatsApp or Telegram, however you do not have the flexibility to take action on a Pixel telephone. Because it normally does, Google teased this function in earlier Android 14 beta builds, nevertheless it was nowhere to be present in subsequent betas, and is lacking on the secure model.

Android 15 might be right here earlier than you understand it

Google tends to roll out preview builds of Android months forward of public launch, and that is finished to verify devs have loads of time to get used to the newest options. If historical past is any indication, the Android 15 dev preview needs to be out there someday in February 2024, adopted by public betas two months later. I will have rather more to speak about Android 15 as quickly because it turns into out there, however for now, let me know if there are any options you’d wish to see within the subsequent iteration of Android.