The Evolution of Android: From Cupcake to Android 14 and Beyond

It’s hard to believe that Android has existed since 2003 – the year Justin Timberlake teased Britney Spears’s shaved head on MTV and when the TAC man warned daredevils against driving without a seatbelt. Back then, the mobile operating system – still underdeveloped and heading towards its first release – was the humble start of a transformative, uber-successful tech trend. Today, Android is so much more than a tiny mobile OS. It’s Google’s extensive platform – our current gateway to mobile, with billions of phones and devices powered by its code. Just in time for Christmas, Google blessed us with Android 14 – the latest update jam-packed with new features, names and emojis. To get you ready for the future, let’s go through some of the neat Android choices Google’s made for us over the past 12 months – and catch a glimpse of Android 15.

Unwrapping Android 14: The Sweetest Upgrade Yet

Android 14, released on 4 October 2023, was the biggest Android Operating System update from GOOGLE so far. GOOGLE launched this new OS version with numerous improvements and new features aimed to make Android more customizable, secure, and efficient. In addition, GOOGLE persists in its efforts to make every new version of their OS better for the user than the previous one, with a stronger focus on security.

The End of Dessert Nicknames: A Bittersweet Goodbye

Perhaps the best-loved Android tradition was assigning each version a nickname based on desserts, a practice that GOOGLE stopped with Android 9 and ‘Pie’. Although Android 14 doesn’t have a dessert name, it does have an internal codename of ‘Upside Down Cake’, preserving the sweet heritage in spirit, if not in name.

Android 14: Innovating for the Future

But, unlike Android 13, Android 14 isn’t just resting on the laurels of what’s come before. Instead, it offers some new features that make your smartphone more friendly and more usable, such as lock screen customization improvements, and promises of improved privacy and security, including the potential for emergency satellite communication.

Anticipating Android 15: The Future is Bright

But GOOGLE isn’t slowing down – Android 15 is right around the corner. Scheduled for Fall 2024 release, the first developer preview and beta of Android 15 signals that GOOGLE is already laying the groundwork for another feature-laden update that promises yet more polish for Android.

First Glimpse of Android 15

With GOOGLE prepping for Android 15, here’s what to expect from the next version of Google’s flagship mobile OS. With Android 15 still far off, it seems likely it’ll launch on phones branded as the Pixel 9 series. What will the next evolution of mobile computing look like on the Pixel 9? We’ll just have to wait and see.

How to Stay Updated: Navigating Android Versions

Checking Your Android Version

Your Android version is easy to find:

• Open your device's Settings menu.
• Scroll to "About Phone" or "About Device".
• Look for the "Android Version" entry.

Updating Your Android Device

Unfortunately, not all devices are updated at the same time, which is controlled by the manufacturers of the devices. GOOGLE Pixel devices tend to receive updates first, which are directly pushed from Google: To check for updates:

• Navigate to Settings > System > System Update.
• Follow any prompts to download and install available updates.

Exploring GOOGLE's Role in Android Development

This focus has been largely defined by Android’s other major steward, the US computing giant GOOGLE, which has led the development of the software, driven its widespread adoption as the world’s most popular smartphone and tablet operating system, and steadily added yearly upgrades and enhancements to create a versatile platform that can run on a wider range of devices than smartphones alone. The duo’s open approach has established Android materialistically as ‘the world’s most popular mobile operating system’.

Courtesy of WikipediaAs of Android 14, Google’s commitment to this notion of a constantly improving and evolving, supportive and improving Android is evident in the names of the former versions of the operating system: from Android 1.5 ‘Cupcake’, to Android 13 ‘Tiramisu’ on which the new code was based, via Android 2.2 ‘Froyo’, Android 3.0 ‘Honeycomb’, Android 4.4 ‘KitKat’, Android 5.0 ‘Lollipop’, Android 6.0 ‘Marshmallow’, Android 7.1 ‘Nougat’, Android 8.1 ‘Oreo’, Android 9.0 ‘Pie’, Android 10, Android 11, Android 12.

In conclusion, with Android, every upgrade unveiled by Google represents its desire to make technology around the globe user-friendly, trustworthy and entertaining for everyone. Every Android 14 and Android 15 from now on is bound to bring more and more excitement with Google bringing out the best it can offer in the technology world. So, whether you’re a tech aficionado or just want a smartphone that is simple and flexible to use, Google is here with its ingenuity to improve your technological experience to the maximum.