BackAndroid M and more at Google I/O
A new Android for phones, an unlimited photo storage service, a smarter watch, highlights of Google's I/O conference
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Google has finally revealed the details about its much awaited next smartphone operating system, Android M. Though we still don’t know what M stands for (Marshmallow? Macademia nuts? Mango Yogurt?), at least we now have more information about new features and improvements M will offer over Android Lollipop.
Plus, the company made a few more exciting announcements at the I/O conference in San Francisco.
ANDROID M
The next version of Android is now shipping to developers. The company went on to call Android M “the most polished Android release to date." While we will not pass judgement on that till the time we actually use the OS later this year, we do know about some features it will pack in.
App Permissions: Any app which wants permission to access the phone’s camera or GPS or your contacts will now put forward the request the first time you use the app. In the currently available versions of Android, these are usually included in the installation permissions page, and users always simply tap on agree. If you don’t want the Facebook app to access your contacts, say no at that time. This does improve privacy a little bit.
However, while Android is catching up now, Apple’s iOS and BlackBerry 10 smartphone platforms already offer a similar app permissions method.
Android Pay: Technically this isn’t a completely new feature, but a rebranding of the near field communication (NFC) enabled touch-to-pay part of Google Wallet. This feature will be built into Android M by default, rather than working as a separate app. Unlock your device, hold it up to an NFC reader (at a store that supports Android Pay), and the payment is instantly made using the credit card you have linked with the Google account. The interesting bit is that your credit card details are not shared with the store you just made the payment to.
Fingerprint Reader Support: Android phones with fingerprint readers already exist (Samsung’s Galaxy S6 for example), but the hardware and the software to run it was built by the device makers, and added on to the OS on the phone. With Android M, Google will provide support for fingerprint readers, by integrating the feature in the OS itself. This will allow users to unlock the device or make purchases on the Play store with a scan of the thumb.
Incidentally, Apple has been doing this ever since the iPhone 5s.
Doze: Battery life has never been the strong point of Android phones—some are better than others, but there is no true warhorse. Android M will introduce the Doze feature. Basically, if you haven’t moved your device in a while, apps will be pushed into low-power “doze" mode. Google says this can increase the phone or tablet’s battery life.
USB C: The USB C port support is coming to Android soon, and those phone makers that wish to deploy USB C ports on their phones will be able to do so.
Though not as major, Android M will improve the volume controls, with independent settings for ringer, alarm and music volume.
ANDROID WEAR
Android Wear is getting a much needed overhaul. With the new update, Android Wear-based smartwatches will be compatible with wrist flicking gestures, emoji recognition, an always on display and an app launcher.
GOOGLE AND THE INTERNET OF THINGS
Google has also talked about two new projects which focus on the Internet of Things—Brillo and Weave. Brillo is an Android-based operating system for IoT devices whereas Weave is a standard for IoT devices to communicate with each other. Gadget makers can use both Brillo and Weave, or just one of the two. Both platforms will roll out for developers in late 2015, and we don’t have any specific dates yet.
Google Now
Google Now has been updated to use information on the screen at the time and use that as context to provide additional information. For example, if the user is looking at an article about a certain place, long pressing the phone’s home key will bring up details about the place.
Google Photos
Finally, and thankfully, Google is separating the photo sharing service from the truly terrible Google Plus social network. Called Google Photos, it will be a free service with unlimited storage and will be able to host photos up to 16-megapixel, and videos up to 1080p resolutions. It is available for Android and iOS devices, and also on the web at https://photos.google.com from the web browser.
Offline Maps
Google Maps is getting better offline mode support. Once you’ve saved a map for a city, state or country, you’ll be able to search for businesses and points of interest in that area. Turn by turn navigation will work without any Internet connection.
Google Play
Google says that Play now has 1 billion active users, with 50 billion app installs in the past 12 months.
As a new feature being rolled out, apps available on Play can now get a family friendly designation called The Family Star. There will be further categories for different age groups.
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