Android 15 nears release as we get a sneak peek at what might be Android 16’s quick settings panel

[Pelican Press 0]

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

Android 15 nears release as we get a sneak peek at what might be Android 16’s quick settings panel

Android 15’s pre-release ******* has been strange, with extra beta releases and this year’s Pixel phones launching on last year’s version of Android. It seems like all the kinks have been worked out, though: Android 15 is finally finished, just not in the way you may have been hoping for.

That’s not all: Android 14 got a critical security update (potentially its last, at least on many phones), we caught a very early glimpse at what could be Android 16, and

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

’s exciting AI-powered Ask Photos feature is starting to roll out to some

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

Labs users. Here’s your rundown of the week’s major

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

news.

Android 15 is officially finisheddata:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==

A graphic depicting the Android 15 internal codename of Vanilla Ice Cream

After a lengthy beta *******, Android 15 made its way into AOSP this week, which means it’s finished — any future changes from this point will target the the QPR1 release planned for December. The update isn’t rolling out to users yet, though;

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

’s said Android 15 should make its way to Pixel devices starting in the next few weeks (we’re figuring it’ll be in October), and devices from other manufacturers over the next few months.

The Pixel 9 series launched with Android 14, making them the first Pixel phones to launch with the same Android version as the previous generation (the Pixel 8 debuted with Android 14 last fall). If you want to try Android 15 on your Pixel right now, you can hop on the beta program to try QPR1 Beta 1.1. Note that QPR1 is still in development and hasn’t been folded into AOSP the way Android 15 itself has; as with any beta, you’re likely to hit some bugs.

Android 14 gets a critical security patchdata:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==

A wooden Android mascot holding a pencil reading ‘Android No. 14’

Android 14’s still alive and kicking, even with Android 15 nearing release. There aren’t any significant user-facing changes in the

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

, but it does squash some bugs. Chiefly, it patches a ****** security vulnerability caused by Verizon’s hidden store demo software that’s been pre-loaded on Pixel phones since 2017.

Assuming Android 15 does make its way to Pixel phones next month, the September security patch is the last Android 14 update many Pixel phones will ever see.

The Pixel 9 can’t reverse wireless charge while it’s plugged indata:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

-pixel-9-pro-fold-13

The Pixel 9 series supports reverse wireless charging for topping up accessories or other phones on the go, but it’s got a limitation previous Pixel phones didn’t: you can’t use Power Share on Pixel 9 phones while they’re plugged into wired chargers.

The Pixel 5, 6, 7, and 8 series all support reverse wireless charging, too, and on those phones, you can use Power Share while the phone is plugged in just fine. The change for this generation could be intended to preserve battery health over time, in keeping with an in-development Android 15 feature that’ll let you limit your battery’s charging to 80 percent capacity.

Ask Photos is finally here (for some people)data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==

Ask Photos function in

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

Photos

Source:

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

Amid all the AI-powered odds and ends

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

debuted at I/O this year, one in particular caught my attention . Ask Photos lets you talk to Gemini to surface images in your

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

Photos library by asking for them in natural language. As the name implies, you can even ask questions that could be answered by your photos (“what’s my license plate number, again?”), and Gemini will scan your image library to get you the info and images you need.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

, and you can

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

to try it.

There was also a surprise tucked into the Ask Photos rollout: regular old search in

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

Photos is getting better, too. English-language users can now search for more specific things (for example, photos containing multiple specific people). The improved search experience is set to roll out to more languages soon.

The Pixel Stand 2 is out of commission

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

””>

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==

Late last month, it came to light that the Pixel Stand 2,

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

’s premium wireless charging stand released in 2021, isn’t compatible with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. The wireless charging coils in

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

’s latest foldables are positioned in such a way that it’s difficult to get contact on the Stand 2.

Earlier this week,

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

stopped selling the Pixel Stand 2. The

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

Store listing for the charger doesn’t just say it’s out of stock, but that it’s “No longer available.” We haven’t heard anything about a new wireless charger from

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

yet, but given the company’s stopped selling its previous model, it stands to reason we might in the near future.

An early, early peek at Android 16?

Poking around the Android 15 source code, Mishaal Rahman was able to get a redesigned quick settings panel operational. The new design, potentially in development for Android 16, looks radically different from what we’re used to now, with quick settings and notifications apparently completely separate. In a video demonstrating the in-progress design, quick settings are accessed by swiping down from the top of the display with two fingers, but I’d be surprised if that was the only way to get there when and if this design does roll out. You can access quick settings by swiping down with two fingers in existing versions of Android, too.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

#Android #nears #release #sneak #peek #Android #16s #quick #settings #panel

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up