Google’s Android P- the new kid on the block

Google unveiled its new operating system the “Android P” and it is enriched with fifteen new features that makes it more user friendly. In its annual developer conference, Google showcased its new OS release, called the “Android P”. As claimed by Google this new release is all about simplicity, intelligence and digital well-being.

may you also like: Staunch backlash over the latest AI capability of Google​

• The interface of the navigation system is gesture-based. Technology related to gesture based computing has advanced a lot from mere tilting or shaking the phone. Google claims this will be helpful with phones getting taller. There is a single home button and one can swipe up to see a newly designed overview.

• Smart text selection is another key feature that is now available. During constant use of different apps smart text selection recognizes, the meaning of the text typed in and offers relevant suggestions.

• The auto-rotate feature just got smarter. Many a time we keep on tilting the phone but keep missing out on the right orientation. Now hopefully this new feature will lessen the frustration of the users.

• The smart volume function prevents users from accidentally muting the cell-phone.

• Deepmind and google have collaborated on this one to produce the adaptive battery that prioritises battery usage for the most frequently used apps. This means users will get the maximum of battery life.

• Google’s new OS will now help in maintaining brightness pertaining to surrounding conditions. The OS will adapt to the natural light conditions all around itself and regulate the screen brightness accordingly.

• Android P provides smart actions and can predict the next move of the user. For example, if headphones are plugged in then the music app will automatically start showing recently played mp3 list.

• Users will now get deeper insights on simple google searches. Termed as the “slice” feature- this quality of the OS will show more interactive data on simple searches. For example if one searches for “lyft”(cab app), along with normal data google will also show an estimated time and fare needed to go to work.

• Inclusion of ML kit on Android P will enable the app to benefit from the real-world uses of ML without the user understanding how the algorithm works. This offers on-device APIs for text recognition, image labelling,  face detection, barcode scanning and many more.

• Android p offers a smarter way to control the quick settings. Editing, volume controls, managing notifications and many more such activities are now more simplified.

• A unique feature called the “digital well being” has been added which will monitor the health and well being of the user. For example- if the user is spending too much time on any particular app, the OS dashboard will suggest to take a break and spend some time with family.

• Another interesting feature is the time set controls for particular apps. Many times we feel that we have spend too much of time on a particular app while neglecting our more important tasks at hand. Now users can set a time limit for themselves for using each app and once that time limit is crossed the icon will just grey out reminding the user of his/her goals.

• The new shush mode enables more than the DND feature. If the phone is turned over the table it automatically enters the shush mode and also stops the visual interruptions that pop up.

• Users can choose a bedtime for themselves and the phone will turn on the DND mode and fade the screen to grayscale to remind the user that it is time to sleep.

• Android P offers encrypted backups, protected confirmations and many more such upgraded security features.

As predicted by google, all these upgrades will help the user immensely and make the smartphone more user-friendly.