Google announced the next evolution of the Android operating system for smartphones and tablets, Android 5.0 L.
The first glimpse of the new Android software was shown at the companies annual I/O conference in San Francisco. Android 5.0 L will be available in Autumn and will come stock in all Android phones after that. For some phones, it may not be downloadable at first because it is going to be up to the mobile operators and manufacturers for each device.
Some of the biggest new features that come with Android L are a newly designed look and feel, better battery life and enhanced notifications. This is one of the biggest releases for Google so far, and they have said that they are looking at factors beyond mobile for this release.
The new look and feel of Android L is being hyped up really heavily by the company. They say that they drew inspiration from paper and ink, and that they wanted to make a digital material that could “reform and reshape”. No one really knows what that means, but I’m really expecting for George Jetson, futuristic type of stuff from what they are saying. If you’re going to use words like that, then I should feel like I’m using some sort of space device.
Another claim from Google is that this will be the fastest version of Android to come out so far, and that it will even speed up old phones that run it. It is also designed to support 64-bit processors, which are featured in Apple’s latest iPhone releases. So this is a sign that some crazy new Android phones may be coming in the near future.
The improved notifications thing sounds like they are taking inspiration from Apple. Users will now be able to read, open, or simply dismiss notifications all from the lock screen. It will also track which notifications you dismiss or open and will start only showing you the ones that are most important to you.
You will also be able to choose what information on your device is shared, and how it is shared. Universal Data Control is a new feature that lets you divide your device between work and personal modes and use your data differently in each mode. This is their attempt at giving you a strict business phone and a personal phone all in one. It’s a pretty neat idea.
