Android 15 update brings faster Doze mode and battery savings
Devices switch to low-power Doze mode around 50% faster than Android 14
Expected battery life savings of up to three hours between charges
Improved efficiency for Wear OS 5 with up to 20% less power usage during marathon runs
Revamped volume panel UI in Android 15
In the latest developments in the tech world, Android users can look forward to several new features and improvements with the release of Android 15. According to various sources, including Android Authority and TechRadar, this new update brings significant enhancements for battery life savings and user experience.
Firstly, devices running on Android 15 can switch to low-power doze mode around 50% faster than those on Android 14. This improvement is expected to result in substantial battery life savings for users, with some devices experiencing an additional three hours of battery life between charges.
Additionally, Google I/O 2024 saw the announcement of several other new features for Android 15. These include a revamped volume panel UI and improved efficiency for Wear OS 5. Marathon runs, for example, will use up to 20% less power than on Wear OS 4.
However, not all updates have been smooth sailing. Google encountered an issue with the Private space feature in Android 15 Beta 2 that caused app icon removal from the Home screen when creating a private space for the first time. This problem has since been addressed with the release of Android 15 Beta 2.1, which is currently rolling out to supported devices.
Google's commitment to enhancing user experience and battery life savings continues with Android 15, making it an exciting update for Android users.
Android 15 Beta 2 allows Pixel phone users to control the volume of Google Home speaker groups while casting.
,Google intentionally disabled this functionality on Pixel phones due to a legal dispute with Sonos in late 2021.
,The judge's overturning of the jury verdict in favor of Sonos led Google to bring back several features they had removed, including this one in Android 15 Beta 2.
,Google Home speaker groups can be created and controlled through the Google Home app and consist of one or more Assistant-enabled devices.
,Casting audio to a speaker group allows simultaneous playback on all devices in the group.
,Controlling the volume of a speaker group while casting is only possible on Pixel phones running Android 15 Beta 2 or later versions.
Google announced at its I/O developer conference that billions of Android phones will get new tools to prevent access to personal information by phone thieves and curb their criminal behavior.
The upcoming Android update will use artificial intelligence to automatically detect when a phone is stolen and lock itself.
Phone thefts are a major issue worldwide; in London, a phone is stolen every six minutes.
Thieves may try to access banking or crypto apps and transfer money. Google’s anti-theft tools have been designed to protect before the phone is stolen, during the theft, and after it has been taken.
Google trained its algorithms using data collected from simulated theft events against each other.
The new Offline Device Lock will lock the screen when the phone is offline for an extended period if that setting is turned on.
A new ‘private spaces’ option allows users to store sensitive apps like banking apps, which require a second PIN or biometrics for access.
Extra authentication controls are being added: thieves will need to use the user’s PIN, password, or biometric information to disable Google’s Find My Device location-tracking service or change a device’s PIN.
The new Remote Lock feature will allow users to lock their phone using just a phone number.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(80%)
The article provides valuable information about new features in Android 15 aimed at preventing phone theft and securing user data. However, there are instances of emotional manipulation and selective reporting that reduce the article's credibility. The author uses phrases like 'huge problem', 'rampant levels of phone thefts', and 'traumatic experience' to evoke emotions in readers, which can influence their perception of the issue. Additionally, while discussing stolen phones being resold or passed on to others for parts, the author mentions that some criminals try to access banking or crypto apps and transfer money. However, they do not provide any statistics or evidence supporting this claim. This selective reporting could mislead readers into believing that phone theft is primarily motivated by financial gain.
Google’s anti-theft tools have been designed to add more protection before a phone is stolen, during the theft, and after a phone has been taken.
Billions of Android phones are getting new tools to stop phone thieves from accessing your information and to slow down their criminal behavior,
Stolen phones can be resold if they are unlocked or passed on to others who can break them down for parts and sell those components. However, some criminals will also try to access banking or crypto apps and transfer money.
The thieves profit from the physical device themselves, but they also increasingly are trying to get into the content of the device, where the most valuable data is stored.
Thieves riding electric bikes or scooters can snatch phones out of people’s hands, pickpockets can easily nab devices from bags, and others are known to peer over shoulders to learn a phone’s PIN before they steal the device.
Fallacies
(95%)
The article contains some instances of appeals to authority and inflammatory rhetoric, but no formal or blatant logical fallacies are present. The author cites statistics from London and mentions the experiences of thieves without providing any evidence or justification for these claims beyond the authority of Google's security expert, Jianing Sandra Guo. Additionally, there is some inflammatory language used to describe phone thefts and their consequences. However, these do not significantly impact the overall argument or reasoning in the article.
] Around the world, phone thefts are a huge problem[.
Thieves riding electric bikes or scooters can snatch phones out of people's hands[.
Stolen phones can be resold if they are unlocked or passed on to others who can break them down for parts and sell those components[.
The thieves profit from the physical device themselves, but they also increasingly are trying to get into the content of the device, where the most valuable data is stored[.
To train the algorithm, Google's research staff studied how phones are commonly stolen[.
There's a grabbing of the phone, changing hands, and then an attacker running[.
Google's new Offline Device Lock will lock your screen when the phone is offline for an extended period of time[.
This renders a stolen device unsellable, reducing incentives for phone theft[.
The content of the device is protected, and it buys the user a lot of time ... to be able to organize themselves and do further remediation[.
Google's new protections around factory resets will launch with Android 15
Google is rolling out Android 15 Beta 2.1 with a fix for Private space issue.
AP31.240426.023, the May 2024 security patch update is available for supported devices: Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6a, Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 7a, Pixel Tablet, Pixel Fold, Pixels 8 and its variants.
The Private space issue caused app icon removal from the Home screen when creating a private space for the first time.
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