Google’s latest mobile OS iteration, known as Android L (for now, at least) is here. Though the company will roll out the software with its new devices – Android One or Android Silver – later this year, a developer preview of the OS is now available for the Nexus 5 and Nexus 7.
After a long time, Google has given the Android OS a major overhaul. The big changes are mainly visual and a part of what Google calls its Material design initiative. The new Material Design adds a geometric feel to the UI, offering refreshed look and animation. The system font has also been updated and Google says the experience of using L is akin to touching objects in real life, and how they interact with your touch.
It’s one of the biggest visual changes since Android 4.0, and you will notice almost everything looks new and different. The first big difference comes at the lock screen.
Notifications
You can either expand swipe upwards to unlock the screen, expand a particular notification or simply swipe it way sidewards. This means you can see a message but there is no need to unlock your device to view it. You can also add some privacy and security settings, to safely access the information, and also have the option of not seeing the notifications on the lock screen. On the bottom are call, lock and camera icons for quick access.
Engadget points out, “Nearly every aspect of Android’s notifications has been blessed with improvements, and there are even a couple features that are entirely brand-new. Notifications can be viewed on the lock screen now – at least, the ones that you don’t mind others seeing if they happen to peek at your locked phone.”
Another noticeable change is that quick settings like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Airplane mode and others are now integrated within the notifications. So, don’t expect two separate windows. Initially, users won’t see it, but they will be accessible if you keep pulling the notifications bar further down or tap on it. This section also shows the bar to adjust brightness.
“We just barely saw a similar feature introduced in iOS 8 — if a message comes in, you can choose to reply or dismiss it right away, instead of having to go into the notifications menu or your default messaging app. (Indeed, there are a few differences between the two platforms’ implementations, but the general idea is very similar.),” adds the Engadget report.
Card-like recents
On unlocking the device, you will notice that the homescreen hasn’t undergone too many changes. It still seems familiar as most of the icons are same except the settings icon which now shows a new design. DroidLife states, “On the main screen (read homescreen), we aren’t seeing anything new. It looks like the Google Now launcher. If you go in the widgets section, it still looks like KitKat to us. The wallpapers are still the KitKat style. Most app icons are same, baring (sic) the new settings icon.”
The Recents button still shows all the current running apps, however, they now appear like cards. Yes, looks like Google is all to extend the card-like Google Now UI to other parts of Android L. Just like before, you can choose the card to access or complete the function of that particular app or simply swipe it away to dismiss it. If you open a browser with multiple tabs and then you may see each tab in the form of the card. Well, that sounds too cluttered and for now, lets take it with a pinch of salt, as things are not final yet. Google may extend the functionality to multiple entries per app.
Another new offering is the redesigned keyboard that looks quite chic. Phandroid points out, “The keyboard is all new and improved. It still offers smooth swipes, a little search button and cool animation pop-ups. In advanced settings, it lets you change the colour schemes, allowing you to go back to the white option from ICS and blue from Kitkat. But not sure if we can switch back to these colours once the final cut is out.”
The all-new dialler
The phone dialler’s definitely new, adds the report. Once you tap on the dialler, you can pan through pages like Speed Dial, Recents and Contacts, and a small circular blue dialler icon moves with you. Tap on the icon, and you can start keying in the phone number. It also shows the search option right on top.
Another change comes to the sound alerts. Earlier you could either put the phone on silent or vibrating mode. It now also adds – Do not disturb. Do Not Disturb means you get the option to set the volume of notifications for a specific time period. You will also find a Do Not Disturb option in settings that lets you block messages or calls for sometime, or customise the blocking lists for specific contacts from your list.
That’s just digging the surface for now. A lot of the changes are in the back-end and will be unearthed by the development community in due time. For now, do let us know how your experience with the L preview has been.
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