As we put the wraps on 2024, it’s time to take a look back at some of the major stories and trends that graced Android, the world’s most dominant mobile operating system over the course of the year.
1The Year of AI-Powered Phones
TheSamsung Galaxy S24series kicked off 2024 not with exciting new Android features or revolutionary hardware but withGalaxy AI.Samsung marketed these as AI phones, and it would hardly be the only phone maker to do so.
The Pixel 9 series was packed with AI features, giving buyers the power to generate images that the world is arguably better off without. Unlike Galaxy AI, however, much of Google’s Gemini software is available to any other Android phone. So even if you bought a Motorola phone or one from OnePlus, you still have access to AI, for better or worse.
With Apple Intelligence having received an even more lukewarm reception, AI not only came to Android first, but for the time being, Android AI is also better.
2All Hail Google Messages and RCS
2024 was a big year for RCS. People can now message each other over RCS regardless ofwhether they use Android or iPhone. For the time being, this largely means typing indicators and higher-quality pictures, with the hope for encrypted chats somewhere down the road.
Android phone makers havelargely consolidated around Google Messagesas Android’s one (and, following the discontinuation of Samsung Messages, only) RCS app. Some of us, including yours truly,don’t necessarily see this as a good thing.
3Pixel Hardware Absolutely Crushes It
To most reviewers, 2024 was a good year for Pixel hardware. ThePixel 9 series was a noticeable step up from the Pixel 8 generationin terms of build quality and style. These phones now feel every bit as premium as the Samsung Galaxy phones and iPhones they compete with.
Though, as nice as the hardware feels, these phones now feel less distinguishable from iPhones. For some, it’s worth pausing to pour one out in honor of Pixel’s previous, more distinctive design.
4Android 15 Didn’t Ship on Pixels
Android 15 launched in 2024, and while it containedplenty of quality-of-life improvements, that isn’t what stood out this year. Rather, it’s that this year’s Pixel phones were the first to launch without a new version of Android. Google released this year’s Pixels in late summer, but Android’s release date came around its usual time in the fall.
That’s not to say that changes aren’t in store for Android’s release cadence as well. Thefirst developer preview for Android 16 landed in November, with a final release expected within just the second quarter of 2025.
5Foldable Phone Hardware Is Already Boring
Foldable phones have been around for over half a decade, and while they haven’t yet fully gone mainstream, they’re no longer experimental either. In 2024, foldable phones are not only mature devices; you might even call them boring.
The Galaxy Z Fold 6 looks like the perfection of the device Samsung envisioned with the original Z Fold. The phone isno longer just for first adopters, but it is largely an iterative refinement compared to the Z Fold 5, which was itself a slightly refined Z Fold 4.
The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold garnered positive reviews, but it did mark a departure from the unique form factor found on the original Pixel Fold. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is very similar to the OnePlus One. Both have conventional phone form factors when closed.
I like the smaller size of the Z Fold 6, but the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition (released only in South Korea) shows that in 2025, Samsung is likely to follow the rest of the industry in making its book-style foldable similar in size to conventional slab phones. For a few short years, companies used the foldable form factor as a chance to experiment. That time appears to have already passed.
6Samsung Releases a Smart Ring Before Apple
Smart rings aren’t new in 2024. Oura, after all, is on its fourth generation. Yet this was the first time one of the major phone makers tossed their hat into the ring. Samsung debuted the Galaxy Ring over the summer. While now drastically better than the competition, it does offer full integration with a phone ecosystem in a way you don’t get from the other rings.
Unfortunately, at $400, the ring is a hard sell for many, even die-hard Samsung fans (Ipaired a Galaxy Ring with my Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Watch 6, but even at half price, I decided not to keep it). Yet since the ring doesn’t require a subscription, it actually comes out cheaper long-term than the leading smart rings.
7Phones Gain PC-Level Performance
You may have missed this development if you primarily use your phone as just a phone, but today’s flagships now pack as much power as PCs. No, a phone won’t beat out a maxed-out desktop rig, but that’s a distinction not applicable to the majority of people. I’m writing this articleon a Galaxy Z Fold 6 docked to a 4K monitor, and the performance is smoother than any PC I’ve ever owned. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is a powerhouse, and the Snapdragon 8 Elite coming to the latest phones is an even more capable chip.
Yet, as tempting as it is to focus on Qualcomm, the bigger story is the increased competition. We know Apple is crushing it with its A-series chips in mobile phones, but now we’re seeing staggering performance come out of MediaTek as well. TheSamsung Galaxy S10 series tabletsswitched from Qualcomm Snapdragon to a MediaTek Dimensity 9300+. I challenge you to pick up the tablet and see if you can spot a difference. Go ahead and put it through its paces. Render video. Fire up a game. The whole nine.
8The Best Year to Buy a Mobile Game Controller Yet
Mobile game controllers are nothing new. Backbone took these accessories up a notch in 2020 with the release of a fan-favorite controller that turned phones into Switch or Steam Deck-like handhelds, joined by the likes of the Razer Kishi. New models have continued to trickle out.
This year, we saw an emphasis on bringing full-sized game controls to our phones. There’s theRazer Kishi Ultra, the most comfortable Kishi yet. 8BitDo also got into the game with itsUltimate Mobile Gaming Controller. I personally own theGameSir G8+ Bluetooth controller(very similar to theGameSir G8 Galileo), which holds my foldable phone just right.
9Google Gets Ruled a Monopoly
Google had a difficult year in US courts. Over the summer, Googlelost a case against the US Department of Justice, arguing that Google had used illegal practices to squeeze out competition and establish a monopoly in online search and advertising. We do not yet know what the remedy will be, with options including splitting off Chrome or Android into separate companies.
Later the same year, as a conclusion to a lawsuit between Epic and Google, Google wasordered to open up the Play Store. In addition to changes to the Play Store, this ruling could spur the creation of alternative app stores that are able to compete on fairer grounds.
10Android XR
2024 saw the continued development of glasses and headsets that place computing directly in front of our eyeballs. Google wants to make Android the platform developers build on top of, much like everyone but Apple does with phones. To make that happen,Google debuted Android XR.
Android XR is the first version of Android targeting a new platform since the release of Android Automotive in 2017. The first Android XR devices are expected to arrive in 2025, with companies like Samsung and Xreal known to be working with the software.
I’m a big fan of my Xreal glasses, which I primarily use for gaming and the occasional video. If you want an experience similar to the image above, you can already try out something close by picking up anXreal Beam Pro. I’ve used one, and if the hardware were less underpowered, it’d be pretty dope.
I’ve covered Android for a long time, and while Iacknowledge that smartphone design has gotten somewhat boring, I’ve never enjoyed using Android more than I have now. My Galaxy Z Fold 6 isa true 3-in-1 device that has locked me into Androidby replacing most other gadgets in my home. It’s my phone, PC, eReader, tablet, and more. I follow Android not as the OS that powers my phone but the software that powers my entire digital life.
