Tag: Android 14 DP1

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Android 14 includes in-development features to convert, transfer eSIMs

Android 14 may pave the way for other smartphone makers to follow Apple in going all-in on eSIM.

For those unfamiliar with eSIM, it’s a smartphone technology that replaces the need for a physical SIM card, meaning no need for a SIM card tray in your phone. Unsurprisingly, there are pros and cons to this — eSIMs enable less waste and some proponents have suggested eSIMs could reduce carrier control over customers by making it easier to switch providers. However, restrictive activation practices and other complications have prevented that from being the case.

For years, most smartphones have offered both eSIM and physical SIM options, but Apple removed the physical SIM on its iPhone 14 line in the U.S., for better and worse. (Here in Canada, the iPhone 14 line still offers a physical SIM card).

However, the first developer preview of Android 14 includes an updated Settings app with new options for eSIM. As spotted by Mishaal Rahman, senior technical editor at Esper, the new settings app contains an option called ‘Convert to eSIM’ (via Android Police). Although not totally clear, it seems this would convert a physical SIM card into an eSIM. The related settings page appears to still be in development and only shows up in search.

Moreover, Rahman says Android 14 DP1 preps an option to transfer eSIMs between different devices. However, these new settings options don’t work on their own and require additional resources. Rahman found the resources in the pre-installed SIM manager app that Pixel phones use for various background SIM card and network-related features. Android Police noted these resources were added as early as the second Android 13 QPR2 beta in January.

On the surface, these improvements sound like they could address some of the pain points of eSIM, but Rahman notes that carriers will need to support activating newly created eSIMs — given how carriers are, I’m sure you can guess how this will go. Similarly, transferring an eSIM from one device to another isn’t part of the eSIM spec, so it’s not clear whether this will be a Pixel-specific feature or if it will work for Android devices in general. The iPhone has a similar issue where it can transfer eSIMs from iPhone to iPhone, but not to or from Android.

You can learn more about Android 14 DP1 here.

Source: Mishaal Rahman Via: Android Police

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Mobile Syrup

Android 14 might make removing carrier bloatware easier

A long-running annoyance with Android smartphones is pre-installed bloatware from carriers and device manufacturers. Not only does the bloat suck, but carrier apps can be a privacy risk and removing them can be quite difficult.

Well, that last point might change with Android 14. The first developer preview for Google’s upcoming mobile operating system update is out now. A notable new feature uncovered in the preview will show which apps were installed by carriers/device manufacturers that users can safely remove.

Mishaal Rahman, who regularly uncovers work-in-progress Android features and details them on Twitter, wrote about the new bloatware tool for XDA Developers. Rahman noted that the feature is currently hidden in Android 14 DP1 — users need to enable a developer flag and access a special version of the Settings app dubbed ‘Spa,’ which is also hidden behind a separate flag.

‘Apps installed in the background’ menu in Android 14 DP1 | Image credit: XDA Developers

The new menu, dubbed ‘Apps installed in the background,’ appears in the ‘Apps’ section and includes the following description:

“Your device manufacturer may install apps on your device in the background, or allow your carrier and other partners to do so.

“Any apps listed here aren’t required for your device to function normally. You can uninstall apps you don’t want.”

Below that is space for a list of apps, though in the example photos shared by Rahman, there weren’t any apps listed.

Rahman goes on to explain that a new system service called “Background Install Control” powers the new menu. Under the hood, it looks like the feature doesn’t capture apps installed through ADB or by other apps running in the foreground. That makes sense, since installations through ADB require manual effort. Foreground apps, on the other hand, would count things like the Play Store.

Instead, the feature will likely work best for, as an example, apps installed after you insert a carrier’s SIM card. Which, frankly, is exactly what’s needed — I’m tired of uninstalling 20 apps whenever I set up a new phone to review.

Source: XDA Developers Via: Android Police

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Mobile Syrup

Android 14 DP1 is available now — here’s what you need to know

The first Developer Preview of Android 14 has arrived, kicking off a months-long testing phase where we’ll get to see much of what’s new in Android ahead of the stable release later this year.

Google released several details about Developer Preview 1 (DP1) as well as a timeline for the preview and beta period ahead on the Android Developers website. Plus, several publications have already started sharing new features and other details about Android 14 based on what they’ve found in DP1.

When will Android 14 release?

The short answer is in August or September 2023, but if you want more detail, read on.

Google published a timeline overview for Android 14 that gives us a pretty good idea how many previews and betas we’ll get, as well as when we’ll get them. DP1 and DP2 will come out in February and March, respectively, and then in April we should get the first Android 14 Beta, with further releases coming roughly every month.

Timeline for Android 14 developer previews and betas

Timeline for Android 14 developer previews and betas.

Google expects to hit platform stability in June with Beta 3 — this is when the search giant will lock in the Android 14 APIs and developers can start building apps knowing there won’t be any further changes. Android 14’s final release will come sometime after July — likely August, as in past years.

How to get Android 14 DP1

Getting a developer preview isn’t the easiest thing for most people, so if you’re not a technical user, I’d recommend waiting until the beta releases start coming out. Not only will those be more stable than developer previews, but you can easily enroll your Pixel phone through Google’s Android Beta Program website without wiping your data or flashing anything.

As for the developer previews, you’ll need to head to the Android Developers website and download the compatible Android 14 DP factory image for your Pixel phone. The following Pixel phones are supported:

You can find the Android 14 DP1 factory images here — you’ll need to download them and flash them, which will wipe your data (that said, you shouldn’t install the developer preview on your daily driver device in the first place). Once flashed, you’ll get future Android 14 updates delivered over the air.

We won’t get into the detailed step-by-step instructions on this process, but there are plenty of excellent guides online — such as this one from Android Police.

What’s new in Android 14 DP1?

Below is a non-exhaustive list of what’s new in Android 14 DP1. We’ll update this as new features and changes are discovered.

  • Optimizations for devices with large screens.
  • Improvements to standby battery life through changes to how Android communicates app changes.
  • Increased text zoom up to a maximum of 200 percent (previously, 130 percent was the max).
  • Android 14 will block installation of apps targetting older versions of Android — learn more.
  • Battery usage page improvements.

Source: Google Via: Android Police