I’ve never understood Google’s approach to present new versions of Android. Rather than presenting the update normally, explaining what’s new, and giving developers some guidance, the search giant started beta testing first. And only then, a few months later, he held an official event, within the framework of which he presented the update when users already knew everything about it inside and out. Despite the fact that last year the Google I / O conference, which usually announced new versions of Android, was canceled, this year everything will go according to plan.
Kyiv. Ukraine. Ukraine Gate – April 10, 2021 – Technology
Google I / O 2021 will take place from May 18 to May 20. This event is analogous to Apple’s developer conference. Google holds it annually for several days and traditionally opens it with the announcement of a new version of Android.
This year it will be held entirely online and will be absolutely free for all participants, which is happening for the first time. Google made this decision deliberately, deciding not to limit those wishing to attend the event.
New Android 12 features
Since you’re not the developer community here, we’re going to talk about Android 12, whose announcement should take place on the first day of Google I / O 2021. In fact, this is a pass-through update, although Google has prepared quite a few innovations.
Another thing is that the coolest, as usual, will be available only to owners of Google Pixel smartphones, and the remaining functions that Google claims to be innovations have long been in third-party firmware. Therefore, from the more or less interesting, we will single out only the following changes:
Decrease color saturation – allows you to dim the colors on the display if they seem too bright and saturated to you;
Screen Time-out – needed to temporarily disable all smartphone functions, for example, if you need to focus on something;
Feedback for external controllers – transfers vibration at critical moments of the game from a smartphone to a PS or Xbox controller;
Camera and microphone indicator – starts blinking green or orange when audio or photo and video recording is in progress (including in the background);
Support for double clicks on the power key – allows you to take screenshots or quickly call Google Assistant (not active yet);
Scrolling screenshots – allows you to take a screenshot of the entire web page or chat (up to self-selected limits);
The ability to send a password from Wi-Fi – for this, the technology of wireless data transfer Nearby Sharing is used;
Improved notifications – now you can conveniently “snooze” an alert, delete it or go to settings;
Widgets 2.0 – Google has expanded their use by changing the design and allowing you to create thumbnails of current tasks, for example, dialogs in instant messengers, etc.;
Application protection – with the release of Android 12, it will be possible to set passwords for individual applications at will;
Compact mode – users of large smartphones will be able to pull the interface to the bottom of the screen, reducing its elements for ease of use.
When Android 12 comes out
Although the Android 12 presentation will take place in May, the actual release will be delayed by several months. In this period, Google will test the update in open mode, releasing a new beta version every month, for the installation of which you will not have to register somewhere separately and fiddle with ADB and rollbacks.
It can be installed by all owners of Google Pixel smartphones (were without them) and those devices whose manufacturers agree to adapt each assembly as part of the test stage. Usually, there are not very many of them: Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, OnePlus, and someone else like Poco or Redmi.
The actual release of Android 12 is likely to take place closer to October. For Google, this is the traditional time of launching new versions of the mobile operating system. However, first of all, only the “pixels” will receive the update and, probably, the remnants of smartphones participating in the Android One program.
For everyone else, the release will take place at different times. For OnePlus, it’s traditionally November-December, for Samsung – December-January, and for Xiaomi – January-February. Moreover, in this case, we are talking about the flagship smartphones of the current generation, because last year’s devices and state employees will traditionally receive an update with a delay.
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Source: Ukrgate