Android 15
Google Focuses To Enhance Security & Battery Life With Android 15
Google is actively working on the next iteration, obviously, Android 15, as it already delivered two developer previewsand appears close to jumping on the beta stage. Google is focusing on security and privacy features. Let’s take a closer look at what new novelties Android 15 will bring.
As per the reports, Google is focusing on enhancing security and privacy features in Android 15. The new features on the list include a private space for sensitive applications, protection from rogue devices, location-sharing controls, and automatic redaction of one-time passwords. All of these will add an extra layer of security.
At the time, only these features were discovered, but it is expected that in future beta releases, more security features will be undiscovered, and one more expected feature to see in an upcoming beta release is named ‘adaptive timeout.’
On devices that have a screen look feature enabled, Android will automatically lock the device after a set period has passed. Users will experience a new facility after upgrading to the new iteration of Android 15. By default, Android turns the display off just after 30 seconds of inactivity and then locks the device after an additional five seconds have passed.
Users can change these thresholds just by following the steps. Navigate to Settings >> Display >> Screen Timeout >> and Settings >> Security & Privacy >> Device unlock >> Screen Lock Settings, sequentially.
The ‘Screen attention’ feature available on Pixel 4 and later models will prevent the screen from turning off only if users are looking at it. This feature appears helpful when users need the screen to stay on but cannot touch it; for instance, while reading something, the phone will use the selfie camera to detect users’ faces and keep the screen awake.
Presently, Android just permits users to keep the screen on for longer with the help of the “screen attention” feature but does not have the have the power to automatically turn it off sooner. To avoid this lack, Android 15 is expected to bring a new ‘adaptive timeout’ feature that will address this gap by automatically turning off the screen when you are not using it.
This adaptive timeout feature is speculated as code found in the developer preview 2:
<string name="contextual_timeout_description"> Automatically turns off your screen early if you’re not using your device</string>
<string name="contextual_timeout_title"> Adaptive timeout</string>However, it is expected that this ‘adaptive timeout’ feature could be exclusive to Google Pixel phones since the code is founded under Google-specific namespaces (com.google.*). Also, the code doesn’t belong to the AOSP; it won’t be included in all Android 15 versions from different smartphone producers.
Noticeably, ‘adaptive timeout’ improves security as well as battery life. Although users might choose a longer screen timeout for convenience, it is recommended that this can be risky if the phone is left unattended. Since this feature turns off the screen while not using the device, obviously it will save battery life.
Source – Android Authority
Android 15-based One UI 7.0 is the next major iteration for Samsung Galaxy devices. Receiving a new Android-based One UI update means a kind of new birth for the Galaxy phone, but it’s hard to relate when your device stands in line to receive the last major OS update.
Downheartedly, here we are mentioning a Samsung Galaxy device list that will be eligible to receive the Android 15-based One UI 7.0 update, but unfortunately as the last one.
Samsung drops the software support for Galaxy devices when they have already reached the peak of dedicated major OS updates. Before you go through the list, let us confirm that this is an unofficial list that we have prepared by keeping in mind the software update policy for each Samsung Galaxy device, as per which the mentioned device may receive Android 15 as their final major OS update.
These Samsung Galaxy devices will receive Android 15 as their final OS update
Galaxy Z Series (foldable)
- Galaxy Z Flip 3
- Galaxy Z Fold 3
Galaxy S Series (flagship)
- Galaxy S21
- Galaxy S21+
- Galaxy S21 Ultra
Galaxy A Series (mid-range)
- Galaxy A14
- Galaxy A14 5G
- Galaxy A05
- Galaxy A05s
Galaxy M Series (affordable mid-range)
- Galaxy M14 4G
- Galaxy M14 5G
Galaxy F Series
- Galaxy F14 5G
Samsung has already started the Android 15-based One UI 7.0 beta’s internal testing for its current high-end Galaxy S24 smartphones, as we already reported about the spotting, and it is expected that Samsung could introduce One UI 7.0 sometime between late October and September 2024.
Android 15 is running in the developing beta phase, and it appears that the stable version could bring a bundle of convenient facilities; for instance, a full-screen application, taking notes directly from the lock screen, default wallet app settings, more Wi-Fi security options, cellular network security, and many more. Since Google is working on these features for Android devices, the Galaxy device can arrive by default; however, Samsung has the right to represent these features with its One UI 7.0 skin, and it is also possible that it may hold a few features and give them with the next One UI 7.1 update.
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Google is tirelessly setting up for the next stable OS update, Android 15. For now, it is surviving in its beta stage and is available for Pixel devices. The code spotted in Android 15 is pointing at better stabilization for videos in social media applications.
Android 15 is expected to bring new features, customization, changes, and improvements to enhance the seamless experience. Including all these, it is also expected that it might improve video stabilization for third-party camera applications on Android phones, which is quite a demanding facility.
Even after being a high-quality video, it loses its quality after uploading on social media, which seems quite irritating. But now a report says that Android 15 code unveils API changes that could help these third-party applications stabilize video footage nearly as well as the stock camera application.
Stock camera applications usually surpass downloaded ones in video stabilization. Stock camera apps have an advantage since they can power hardware features and particular functionalities provided by the phone’s producer. The video stabilization depends on the software in addition to the hardware optical image stabilization. It is reported that apex geek Mishaal Rahman describes that as of Android 14, there are five extensions supported by the Camera2 Extensions API, named Auto, Bokeh, Face Retouch, HDR, and Night.
Meanwhile, the onus of executing these extensions rests on the device OEM, such as Samsung or OnePlus. However, a tipster spotted a new Camera2 Extension API named Eyes Free Videography, plus, similar to the five other extensions available already, this addition to the list with Android 15 will also make video from third-party apps about as stable as the stock camera app, directly helping clips filmed in Snapchat, Instagram, and more.
Noticeably, Android 15 introduces this extension for upgrading video stabilization in third-party camera applications. It truly depends on the phone manufacturers whether to enable it on their devices.
Google already made the Android 15 Beta 1.2 available to download for Pixel owners and is gradually but actively moving towards the stable version. The stable version of Android 15 could offer more access to third-party developers for Digital Wellbeing tools.
A few years ago, Google introduced its Digital Wellbeing application in 2019, this helps users balance their digital lives by tracking how much time they spend on each application. It includes various tools such as Dashboard, App timers, and more.
Third-party developers have been limited in how they can use the digital wellbeing tools, but that may be changing with Android 15. For now, third-party applications can only make Do Not Disturb schedules using Android’s Digital Wellbeing APIs, but in the scenarios where Android 15 lands by the end of this year, they will get the power to more fully make use of the tools Google has been keeping to itself.
Particularly, third-party applications will be permitted to make changes to the screen, for instance, by turning off the Always On Display or authorizing Dark Mode. Granted, developers have acknowledged workarounds to enable those features, but now it appears that those functionalities will have official support, a report says.
If this report came true, then users would have a wider variety of applications to manage screen time and focus at their convenience, instead of relying simply on Google’s built-in tools. However, a few core functionalities; for instance, disabling touch and adjusting brightness will possibly remain restricted. It will be interesting to see the exact change in the stable version.