Happy weekend!
You might have noticed that !android@lemdro.id has reached 15K subscribers, with over 400 active visitors per week!
With the release of Android 14, which is slowly making its way to more devices, it seems like a good time for a community discussion on the direction of Android development.
Discussion Questions:
- What do you think about this latest release?
- Do you think things are going in the right direction?
- Is there anything you’d like to see prioritized in future releases?
- Which device are you on?
P.S. Subscribe to !askandroid@lemdro.id if you haven’t already. It’s the best place to ask questions, seek advice, or to help steer others in the right direction for all things related to Android.
Android these days is mixed. The app ecosystem is mature and I still have more freedom than Apple in terms of home screen, app store, browser, a real filesystem, etc. The phones are all quite capable and powerful. I can sync texts reliably across devices, use my phone’s location to trigger smart home automations, and my watch syncs effortlessly with my phone. All of these were issues for years that are now pretty much solved! Haven’t felt a need to upgrade my Note 20 Ultra yet, but might go to a foldable in the next year if the right deal pops up.
I’m disappointed about how Google has locked down some features in the name of security, like the ability for apps to access text messages. The Play Store is so enshittified. It’s been a long time since I was able to discover new apps there: these days I don’t feel secure installing apps from there and prefer to stick to F-Droid when I can.
I also am disappointed by how the Android market has consolidated so much. There was such a diversity of OEMs in the 2010s and I miss the HTC, LG, Nextbit, Essential and others which weren’t afraid to rock the boat and try new form factors. Foldables are one of the only exciting product categories. Everything else feels pretty predictable, iterative and on rails.
