This is a genuine game-changer for Android users
After much speculation and delay, the date when Google’s game-changing Pixel upgrade hits phones around the world now seems finally confirmed. From October 15, the gap between Android and iPhone will narrow in Apple’s traditional security and privacy stronghold. Credit where it’s due—Android 15 will be a game-changer.
“Google pushed Android 15 to AOSP back on September 3,” Android Headlines reports, “but the update is not scheduled for Pixel devices until October. We are now able to share exactly when that update will be available – that’s October 15.”
Google has been keen to emphasize Android 15’s security credentials from the beginning. More so than ever before, an Android OS update has put security front and center, as Google finally addresses the vulnerabilities that have long set it apart from Apple’s seemingly more locked down ecosystem and devices.
While there’s a long menu of updates to pick from—theft protection, upgraded WiFi security, and scam protection for example, there are three serious updates worth highlighting. Not only do these promise a safer, more secure device, but they also deliver innovation on Google’s part that properly takes on iPhone.
First is my favorite, not because it will be especially critical to most users but because it brings a specialist privacy and security feature into the mainstream for the first time. As I’ve reported before, Android’s cellular network defense will alert users if their phone is being repeatedly pinged by a suspect network radio, or potentially knocked off its regular network onto a less secure, rogue network from which it can be targeted with malicious messages messages or have its traffic intercepted.
The new cellular defense is a two parter. First, an on-screen alert when a network repeatedly pings a device for its IMSI phone or IMEI SIM identifier. This could suggest an attempt to track a phone or bounce it off its network. Second, restricting cellular connections to encrypted only, preventing connections to rouge networks.
It’s for this same reason that Google has warned users to disable 2G on their phones, to prevent exposure to SMS blaster attacks, targeting devices directly with smishing SMS messages. It’s this same low security vulnerability at play.
Second and more update for the masses is better protection of both screen content (partial screen share) and messages (OTP protection). The partial screen sharing is of particular note, as we have all had one of those heart-stopping moments when we release that we’re broadcasting more than intended over Zoom, Teams or Meet. OTP protection limits access to sensitive notifications, which is intended to stop malware-laced apps targeting SMS messages for MFA codes as part of an attack.
Third and finally, we have the real highlight. Real-time, AI-powered live threat detection to flag potential risky apps based on behaviors, permissions, access, looking to identify potential malware before a Play Protect or Play Store warning kicks in.
“With live threat detection,” Google says, “Play Protect’s on-device AI will analyze additional behavioral signals related to the use of sensitive permissions and interactions with other apps and services. If suspicious behavior is discovered, Google Play Protect can send the app to Google for additional review and then warn users or disable the app if malicious behavior is confirmed. The detection of suspicious behavior is done on device in a privacy preserving way through Private Compute Core, which allows us to protect users without collecting data.”
This last update comes in parallel with a Play Store cull of lower quality, potentially higher risk apps and a clampdown on sideloading that we haven’t seen before. The scourge of malware, whether from Play Store, a third-party store or a direct install remains the biggest security difference between iPhone and Android. And if executed well, these latest enhancements will materially raise the bar for Android users.
All told, Android 15 raises the bar and it will be exciting to see these technologies land—whether this helps address the perception issue between Android and iPhone remains to be seen, particularly when it comes to monthly malware warnings.