After a month-long delay, Android 15 is now officially available. This appears to be the smallest update ever announced by the Android team, and while it includes some new features, only a few can be classified as “headliners.”
Many of Android 15’s biggest features are included in the October feature drop for Pixel phones. Some of that has to do with the Pixel catching up with other phones with comparable features, but some of it signals a change in Google’s strategy.
Interestingly, some of our favorite new security features, like new remote locking tools and anti-theft features, aren’t even part of Android 15. These happen to coincide with the release of Android 15 and are already available for all Android smartphones via Google Play. service. That’s fine with me because it’s definitely available to more people right nowBut that certainly won’t help “sell” the Android 15 update.
So what’s the difference between Android 14 and Android 15? Not much, but probably okay.
OS updates are becoming less important
If there’s one overarching theme in Android 15, it’s that updates to the base operating system are becoming less and less important. After years of being teased on stage at Apple’s annual WWDC conference, Google modularized Android and placed the responsibility for providing features on individual phone manufacturers rather than Google itself.
In other words, many of the new features in Android 15 might make you think, “Hey, that’s not new,” unless you’re a Pixel user. This is a lot like how we make fun of Apple every year for “stealing features” from Android phones.
Case in point: new Android 15 features like Private Spaces, upgraded Bluetooth Quick Tiles, a high-quality webcam for computers, enhanced multitasking capabilities for foldable devices, and true full-screen mode, all from Samsung and OnePlus. It’s what you’ll find on the best Android smartphones. , Motorola etc.
If you don’t use a Pixel, most of the new features in Android 15 are probably already on your phone.
OnePlus announced Oxygen OS 15, an update based on Android 15, on October 24th, and Motorola is already testing the update with a few lucky owners. Meanwhile, Samsung owners will have to wait until the Galaxy S25 launches to get the Android 15 update.
News of having to wait months was a big deal before, but users of all these phones now have access to some of Android 15’s best features thanks to feature-rich skins like Samsung’s One UI. You can be happy knowing that most of them are already on your phone. OnePlus’ Oxygen OS and Motorola’s Hello UI.
If there’s one category of new features in Android 15 that excites me, it’s the ones for foldable devices, which are already on many foldable devices. The new Continuation feature allows you to continue using an app on the cover screen as soon as you close your phone after using it on the big screen.
Another new feature lets you save split-screen app combos and pin them to the taskbar so you can quickly launch them when you need them. There’s also a new persistent taskbar option that brings foldable tablets and tablets closer to your laptop.
Again, all of these features are already present on many tablets and foldable tablets, but being introduced in base Android 15 means… all Future foldable tablets and tablets should have these features.
Pixel is the real winner
Being a Pixel owner has always meant getting the latest version of Android first, but now. largely Features from Android 15 update. That’s because Google announced Android 15 at the same time as October’s Feature Drop.
In addition to the aforementioned Android 15 features, Pixel owners can also enjoy a new vibration intensity slider and adaptive haptic options to dynamically adjust vibrations, haptic feedback in the brightness slider, Gemini extensions for the Pixel Screenshot app, and more. Audio Magic Eraser is available for many Pixel devices. A new underwater photo mode for the camera, a new temperature sensor mode for the camera, upgraded casting and media controls to share across Pixel devices, a new volume control UI, and Instagram night mode for more Pixel devices.
Even new partial screen recording apps may remain exclusive to Pixel for a while if certain manufacturers choose to use their own screen recording tools. We’ll have to wait and see what’s added to the updates for individual phones.
In particular, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold receives the most new features, as it has all the features of Android 15, all of October’s Pixel Feature Drops, and all new folding features. The only exception is Pixel tablets, which come with some new screensaver options in the form of photo frames, clock screensavers, and smart home panel screensavers.
Android 15 is arguably the most boring OS update ever, but it also shows the growing importance of individual manufacturer updates. What Google debuts with its Pixel phones will look quite different from phones from Motorola, Samsung, OnePlus, Vivo, or Oppo. But that’s mostly okay, since Google brings its most important security features to all existing Android phones via Google Play Services. Anyway.
Google Pixel 9 gets the latest updates instantly, and thanks to Google’s incredible update promise, you’ll keep getting updates for the next seven years. Plus, our quarterly Pixel Feature Drop means you always get something exciting and new four times a year.
