Android 12, released in 2021, marked a major turning point in the design philosophy of Google's mobile OS. The release brought a breath of fresh air to Android and allowed for a significant modernization of the interface, notably with the introduction of Monet, a system that retrieves nuances from the wallpaper and applies them to the entire interface.
Since then, Android has aged a bit. Not so much in terms of features, with each release seeing its share of new features emerge, but in terms of the interface design, the famous look and feel. An impression reinforced by the release of One UI7 at the beginning of the year, which significantly modernized the interface of Samsung smartphones.
A more "expressive" Android
Without fundamentally changing its interface, Google has come to emphasize a very specific point: expressiveness. The Mountain View firm would like to ensure that using your smartphone provokes emotions.
This will notably involve new animations like the one below for clearing notifications. We can see that the interface has further accentuated the user's movement. This movement will obviously be enhanced by the device's haptic engine.
Another point that can be highlighted is the greater introduction of blur effects in the background. Samsung and One UI7 made the same choice at the beginning of the year. The battery icon has also changed, getting closer to what One UI7 offers, with the battery level integrated into a white, round icon.
Live updates
Another new feature that will remind some of One UI7, and others of iOS, Android 16 introduces Live Updates. This feature allows "to easily follow progress notifications from certain apps. For example, after placing an Uber Eats order, you get a live update that lets you track the delivery's progress. These real-time updates from major delivery, ride-sharing, and navigation apps are placed front and center so you don't miss them," Google explains.
Also, the shortcuts menu is supposed to display more actions. The goal: to prevent users from being "drowning in notifications" and to be able to focus on the "important things".
Wear OS not to be outdone
Wear OS, the smartwatch version of Android, is also being modernized with version 6. It, in turn, integrates the color themes that are a big part of the identity of the Pixel experience. In addition, Google has also tried to modernize its interface by making the tiles less bulky. Here again, the goal is simple: to prevent the user from getting overwhelmed and to be able to quickly access the information that interests them.
According to Google, Wear OS6 will also better optimize the system's consumption. The company promises a 10% gain in battery life. Given that Wear OS watches often struggle to stay on without charging for more than two days, this gain is not incidental.
Wear OS6 will first be available on the Pixel Watch later this year. Android 16, for its part, should serve the Google Pixel first, before being adapted by the various manufacturers.
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