GOOGLE’S highly-anticipated Android 15 upgrade is finally landing on smartphones today with a bunch of mega new features.
The tech giant made the unusual step of releasing a brand new device, the Pixel 9 series, without the new operating system loaded on it in August.
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From today, Pixel handsets will receive the bumper upgrade.
Among the biggest additions are improved security features following a wave of phone thefts.
More than 200 smartphones are snatched every day in the UK currently — some 78,000 a year.
The rate is the highest for over a decade, Home Office statistics reveal, with overall thefts from a person increasing by more than a third.
Earlier this year, Google revealed a genius deterrent called Theft Detection Lock which automatically locks a smartphone if it’s snatched out of your hands by a thief, meaning they can’t raid your bank accounts while it’s unlocked.
AI cleverly detects the sort of motion associated with snatches followed by running biking or driving away.
Android 15 also boasts extra protections that prevent thieves from guessing your passwords and accessing sensitive information.
Elsewhere on your phone, you’ll now find a private space where you can keep apps you don’t know want to keep hidden from view.
But aside from security and privacy, there are some other useful tools to use.
For photography lovers, there’s low light boost and in-app camera controls which now work better in low-light conditions.
Third-party apps also have more camera control, like more precise flash control.
Android users will also be able to use satellite connectivity to send and receive messages without a mobile or Wi-Fi connection for emergencies.
The upgrade is rolling out to eligible Pixel handsets from today.
But some new features are limited to newer models.
Isolate sounds with Audio Magic Eraser is now available to reduce distracting sounds in your videos, like howling winds or noisy crowds – only avaialble for Pixel 8 and newer.
New editing capabilities let you adjust specific sounds to make them louder or quieter too.
Even the Pixel Weather app has had some work done with a pollen tracker added so people can check current pollen index levels, pollen types and forecasts before stepping outside.
And specifically for the UK and Japan, Call Screen has been improved.
Google says a more human-sounding voice can talk to the caller and show you what they’re saying in real time, helping you decide if you want to pick up.
And Brit users will have access to improved replies as well, so you can respond to things like appointment confirmations and reservations without having to answer the phone.
Why you should upgrade now
By Jamie Harris, Assistant Technology and Science Editor at The Sun
Android 15’s big new anti-theft features come amid an explosion in such crime.
Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson recently said phone companies “must ensure any stolen phones can be quickly, easily and permanently disabled, rather than re-registered for sale” – and it seems Google has moved to help with just that.
Google says Theft Detection Lock is rolling out gradually to ensure compatibility with various devices, starting today with Android devices that cover 90 per cent of active users worldwide.
When you do receive Android 15, you’d be wise to set it up and switch it on.
