Latest news with #AndroidPlatform
The Hindu
3 days ago
- The Hindu
Google rolls out Android 16 to supported Pixel devices
Google announced the rollout of its Android 16 version, with the update first coming to supported Pixel devices before coming to other phone brands later in the year. Google's Seang Chau, VP and GM of Android Platform, noted how Android 16 would continue the company's design concept of Material 3 Expressive, which is meant to offer a more personalised experience to users and let them choose their own aesthetic preferences. A major improvement coming to Android 16 is the forced grouping of notifications that come from one app, to prevent clutter. Meanwhile, live updates will keep users informed in real-time so that they do not have to open a food ordering app or ride hailing app to check their status. Android 16 is further allowing users to switch to using their phone's microphone for clearer calls in noisy environments. Those with hearing aids or devices will also get new controls they can adjust straight from their Android phone. Meanwhile, an Advanced Protection mode that Google calls its 'strongest mobile device protection' will allow eligible users to amp up their security controls for a more secure Android phone experience. 'It enables an array of robust device security features that protect you from online attacks, harmful apps, unsafe websites, scam calls and more. Whether you're a public figure or you just prioritize security, Advanced Protection gives you greater peace of mind that you're protected against the most sophisticated attacks,' noted Chau in the blog post. Google and Samsung have also worked together to introduce desktop windowing for apps across compatible devices. This will roll out later in the year. Custom keyboard shortcuts will allow users to create their own combination of hotkeys and taskbar overflow later in 2025. 'There are many more features to explore with Android 16 — like HDR screenshots, adaptive refresh rate, identity check and others — as well as additional updates coming to Android and Pixel devices today. And later this year, more Material 3 Expressive design updates are coming to Android 16 and Wear OS 6 on Pixel devices,' noted Chau in the company blog post.
Indian Express
13-05-2025
- Indian Express
Google redesigns Android and WearOS ahead of annual developer conference
Google has announced the latest versions of Android and Wear OS, both receiving a fresh coat of paint that makes the user interface more personal, glanceable, and user-friendly, a few days ahead of its high-profile annual developer conference. At the separate virtual Android event, Google gave an early first look at Android 16 and Wear OS 6, coming to select devices later this year. The updates introduce the biggest changes to the user interface in years. Called 'Material 3 Expressive,' the new design language builds on 'Material You,' which was introduced in 2021 and brought an adaptive interface that allowed users to personalise Android in new ways. Material Design is Google's open-source design system that outlines how to create user interfaces for Android applications, covering areas such as visual, motion, and interaction design. 'Material 3 Expressive is an expansion of new components and capabilities designed to add emotion to product UIs. It provides a more premium and engaging experience that's easier to use and brings a little more joy to those key interactions,' said Mindy Brooks, Senior Director, Android Platform, during a briefing with select media ahead of the event. As Brooks explained, Material 3 Expressive brings more 'fluid, natural, and springy animations' to the interface. For example, when users dismiss a notification, they'll experience a smooth, detached transition accompanied by a satisfying haptic rumble. The same applies when dismissing an app from the recent apps screen. New to the updated interface is the Live Updates feature — a lock screen notification on your smartphone that provides real-time information, such as sports scores and updates from Uber and delivery apps. Google is also enhancing the overall experience with updated colour themes, responsive components, and emphasised typography. The new fluid design language is also coming to Wear OS 6, the operating system that powers smartwatches. Google says the updated interface is designed specifically for round displays, making the watch feel even more personal. This includes features like colour theming and improved glanceability, making elements more tappable and space-efficient. Android 16 and Wear OS 6 will be released later this fall, with Google's Pixel devices being the first to receive the new features. A big part of the new Material 3 Expressive design language is how Google is improving the experience on foldables. 'We are already doing a lot outside of Material 3 Expressive to help improve the foldables experience and make apps better take advantage of the larger real estate. There are a lot of improvements coming down the pipeline around edge-to-edge rendering and improved multitasking. I think, in general, one big part of this is making sure that some of the large-screen productivity experiences continue to be available,' said Rohan Shah, Product Manager, Android Platform, in a conversation with 'For Material 3 Expressive design, foldables were absolutely part of our initial research set. We put a lot of thought into designing Material 3 Expressive, making sure we tested it rigorously with users,' said Shah. He added that for foldables, there was a lot of inspiration in keeping the interface lightweight and taking advantage of the hardware to deliver moments of motion delight. 'That's a little bit of what went into it,' he said. Seang Chau, VP and GM, Android Platform, added, 'We are putting a lot of focus into foldables and making sure that Material 3 Expressive works well with them, takes advantage of the screen, and makes sure the space is used. But this is very much a developer story, because a lot of apps don't yet take full advantage of the larger screen. We are making sure that, from a developer tools perspective, it's much easier for third-party developers to resize their apps — from a portrait-based phone to a foldable to a tablet — across different form factors and screen sizes as easily as possible.' While artificial intelligence is the hot topic in Silicon Valley, for Google, Android remains a core part of its story moving forward. The company needs smartphones and Android to reach more users and help make AI tools mainstream, especially in markets like India. Android is the world's most popular mobile operating system, with over 3 billion active users. But as companies like Google bring AI interfaces on top of existing user interfaces, many are saying that AI agents could make smartphone apps obsolete. These AI agents, embedded into the operating system, will learn user behaviour, preferences, and habits, and will be able to perform tasks like booking flights or sending follow-up messages autonomously. 'The apps are still relevant, at least for the near term. There are a lot of use cases where it is much faster to have a user navigate through an application rather than asking an agent. We also don't think that agents necessarily have enough information to do absolutely everything that you require right now. This may happen in the future,' Chau replied when asked if AI agents will replace smartphone apps. 'We want a healthy developer ecosystem as well as an OEM ecosystem, and we do strongly feel that developers and applications available now are where there are a lot of really great experiences for users. It's still very healthy for the entire mobile ecosystem.' For Google, Android is a key pillar for introducing AI tools like Gemini to millions of new users. This is why the company is now expanding beyond smartphones and bringing the AI chatbot to smartwatches, smart TVs and Android Auto. In March, Gemini had 350 million active users worldwide — significantly fewer than OpenAI's ChatGPT, which had 600 million monthly active users during the same period. Meta AI, a rival to both Gemini and ChatGPT, had 500 million monthly users in September. Anuj Bhatia is a personal technology writer at who has been covering smartphones, personal computers, gaming, apps, and lifestyle tech actively since 2011. He specialises in writing longer-form feature articles and explainers on trending tech topics. His unique interests encompass delving into vintage tech, retro gaming and composing in-depth narratives on the intersection of history, technology, and popular culture. He covers major international tech conferences and product launches from the world's biggest and most valuable tech brands including Apple, Google and others. At the same time, he also extensively covers indie, home-grown tech startups. Prior to joining The Indian Express in late 2016, he served as a senior tech writer at My Mobile magazine and previously held roles as a reviewer and tech writer at Gizbot. Anuj holds a postgraduate degree from Banaras Hindu University. You can find Anuj on Linkedin. Email: ... Read More
