Google Pixel 4a might not get Android 14, as developer preview skips the device

Ben Schoon | Feb 8 2023 - 10:57 am PT

The Pixel 4a is coming up on its three-year anniversary, which is also when software support for the device will end. However, it seems the device might lose out on the next version of Android, as the first Android 14 developer preview is not available for Google Pixel 4a.

Google launched the Pixel 4a in August of 2020, a few months delayed from the May release date that was expected given the timing of the Pixel 3a’s launch. That release timing has kept up on newer releases, but what’s notable is that the August timeframe put the Pixel 4a squarely in the same timeframe as new Android versions.

Pixel 4a launched with Android 10 and was updated to Android 11 roughly a month after its release. From there, the phone has picked up Android 12 and Android 13. But whether or not the Pixel 4a will get Android 14 remains to be seen.

With Android 14, Google is following roughly the same timeline as it did with Android 13. The first developer preview launched today, and beta releases should begin in April, and continue through June and July as “Platform Stability” is reached. Android 13 was launched on August 15, 2022, and it seems likely Android 14 will be around that same date.

The Pixel 4a, technically, just misses that deadline, as its three-year anniversary will fall on August 3, 2023.

Apparently, those two weeks will be enough for Google to cut off the Pixel 4a from receiving Android 14. The Pixel 4a is not eligible for the Android 14 developer preview, which is generally a sign that the final update won’t be available for the device. Google technically has plenty of time to change its stance here, but the odds are not in the Pixel 4a’s favor. But at the same time, the Pixel 4a was supposed to launch much earlier in 2020 and ended up delayed by COVID and other problems, which might contribute to why the phone might not get Android 14.

The Pixel 4a 5G, released later in October 2020, is eligible for Android 14.