With every I/O event, Google seems to be inching ever so closely on taking over the universe. Android L has heralded a new era for Google, and the tech giant isn’t intending on stopping there; in fact, the upcoming changes to the android platform are small but significant in their own way.
While Android L was a future-proof visual design overhaul, Android M is focusing more on the mechanics powering the admittedly beautiful software. It’s a lot of updates to follow, so let’s break them down. You can also download the developer preview here.
Refined App Permissions
Users will be viewing app permissions differently starting with Android M. Gone are the long lists of permissions; they will be replaced with simplified categories and will only pop up when a specific request to access is being made. This gives users the ability to change individual permissions rather than accept everything upon installation, and these can also be viewed and changed in the system settings menu.
Chrome Custom Tabs
The misleading name suggests that you can customise chrome tabs, but the reality is different. In-app web browsing (for example, clicking a link inside the Facebook app) is being replaced by a customised Google Chrome that pre-loads elements for faster browsing, as well as fetching auto-fill information and passwords from your chrome browser. In a nutshell, in-app web browsing is now done through Google Chrome.
Fingerprint Support
Third party manufacturers have been tinkering around with fingerprint scanners on their devices, but Google is now taking matters into its own hands and has introduced a native standardised fingerprint recognition support which can be leverage by app developers in their apps. Naturally, this will also be used for verification on Android Pay.
Android Pay
As the name suggests, Android Pay is Google’s answer to Apple Pay. Essentially Google Wallet on steroids, with the help of the fingerprint support and retailer adoption, users can now pay with their mobile phones using NFC. Some 700K retailers in the US currently support Android Pay.
Battery Doze
Google is addressing a long-known android problem – battery life – with better power management called Doze. Detecting when you’re actively using the device and when your phone is sitting but itself on a shelf, Doze, in essence, allows apps to “hibernate”, draining far less battery power than they need to when they’re in constant “wake” mode. Tests by Google show that battery life is extended by twice as much with Doze. Additionally, USB Type-C will be supported.
Google Now on Tap
Google Now has been reworked to be incredibly smart, approaching borderline scary/creepy. As we reported before, Google Now is being integrated with many third party apps, giving you extended usability above and beyond what it can currently do. Being constantly aware of what you are doing and your location, Google Now can suggest apps for you to use, bring up to-do lists, request Uber, and do other things. It also knows what you’re listening to, so you can simply ask for more information without having to be explicit in your request. It’s almost uncomfortable how much data Google Now will be gathering to perform its full range of duties.
Unlimited Backup with Google Photos
Google Photos has been revamped and now offers unlimited photo and video uploads (up to 16MP for photos and 1080p for videos). They will be permanently stored on your Google Drive, with a Carousel-like interface to view photos by time, location, and intelligent tagging, as well as giving you ability to share these photos. You can also upload full resolution images and videos (above 16MP/1080p) which will take up from your current allowance of GB on Google Drive.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydBjsZnHrwM
Offline Maps and Browsing
Finally, Google Maps will have an offline mode, catered mostly to developing countries with limited internet access. Online search and browsing has also been optimised for poor connections, rendering pages faster with some compromise on loaded elements (like images).
Android Wear and Connecting Your Home
Google is optimising the apps on Android Wear, making them always-on but in low power mode, giving you quick access to information needed at a glance without hiccups. Google is also planning on turning your home into a smart home with android with their new android-based operation system Brillo. In a nutshell, it is a communications system that allows your home items to talk to one another and to you, using a cross-platform “Internet of Things” language called Weave.
At a first glance, these are all seemingly small improvements compared to the initial overhaul in Android L, but they are not to be overlooked so quickly. Native fingerprint support opens a door of opportunities; Google is finally catching up with Apple Pay; Google Now is the harbinger of automation and one can only imagine how in the future it will play with Barillo and Weave; developing countries will be able to have better experiences with their smart phones. And of course let’s not forget that you can now store an unlimited amount of selfies on the web.
