Google has just shown us the new look of Android 16 and it is directly focused on the greatest fans of the iPhone
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Google sets one Android -Show Today to give a look at the upcoming interface changes with Android 16, in addition to a whole series of Gemini news. It did not show off new devices that carry out the new look; Instead, Google advised developers and an explanation of the general design philosophy. That philosophy seems very … Purple.
The new material 3 Expressive guidelines require extensive use of color (especially shades of purple and pink), new forms in different sizes, new movement effects when you take action and new visual instructions that group and contain elements on the screen.
Google says it has done more research into this design prevision than any other design work it has done since it brought its material design philosophy to Android in 2014. It claims to have conducted 46 studies with more than 18,000 participants, but to be honest I am not an UX designer, so I don’t know if that is much.
Google’s Material 3 Expressive is the new look of Android 16
After all that work, Google landed on this: material 3 expressively. The most striking functions, once you are past the clear and – ahem – youthful colors, are the new movement effects.
For example, when you wipe a notification, the object that you wipe will clear, while other objects fade somewhat, making it easier to see. The other reports in the neighborhood will move somewhat if you fought their neighbor. In short, there will be many more organic -looking movement in the interface, especially on swipes and the control levers.
There will be new types of styles, also built into Android 16, with the possibility to make variable or static fonts. Google adds 35 more forms to the interface library for developers to build, along with an extensive range of standard colors.
Google did not say that his new material 3 expressive design language was aimed at iPhone fans, but the hints are there. The next version of Android does not look cleaner and more organized, instead Google wants to make contact with users at an ’emotional’ level. According to Google’s own research, the group that loves this new look is the most 18-24 year olds, that is, the most tough fan base of the iPhone.
In his official blog post, Google says: “It’s time to go beyond ‘clean’ and ‘boring’ designs to create interfaces that make contact with people on an emotional level.” That connection seems to be much stronger among young people. Google says that each age group preferred the new material 3 expressive look, but 18-24 year olds were 87% for the new look.
Apple‘s iPhone Fanbase is the strongest in this age group, if not the generation that is even younger. It makes sense that Google makes large changes to Android. In fact, this renewal can be too late. We have not seen many inspiring new functions in smartphones since they were started, and folding phones are not exactly understood. I am surprised that Google has waited so long to improve the software, because there was no huge hardware innovation in the pipeline (temperature sensors, someone?).
Material 3 Expressive comes more than just Android -Phones
The new material 3 Expressive appearance will not be limited to Android 16. Google says that Wear OS 6 gets a similar design renewal, with more colors, movement and adjustable buttons that change shape, depending on your watch display.
Wear OS -watches can also use dynamic color themes, just like Android phones. Start with an image or photo and wear operating systems, a matching color theme will make for your watch as a supplement to what it sees.
Even Google’s apps will look more expressive. Google says apps like Google photos And cards will receive an update in the coming months, making them more like Android 16.
Google lends a few iPhone functions for Android 16, including a Lockdown mode
Google also demonstrated live updates, a new function that lends from the iPhone to show you the progress of events such as a Uber Eats delivery. The iPhone does this on the dynamic island and Google adds this function to the top of the Android 16 display.
Security was a major focus of the Android show, starting with new protection against calling and SMS reports. Google secures its phones against some common scammer. Scammers can, for example, pretend to be from your bank and you can ask you for an app to Sideload.
With Android 16 you can not be able to protect Google’s Play’s Play Protect App scanner or apps to Sideload while you are on a phone call. You can also not give permission to the accessibility functions, a common solution to get backwards access to a telephone.
Google’s Messages app also becomes smarter about the scams of SMS messages. It will filter scam reports that ask you to pay overdue toll road costs or try to sell you crypto.
Google also makes advanced protection possible, its own version of Apple’s Lockdown mode, on Android 16. Advanced protection is a super high security mode that offers the highest level of protection against attacks, either via wireless networks or physically via the USB port.
In short, if you are a journalist, a chosen officer or another public figure and you think a government is trying to hack your phone, Google’s advanced protection must completely lock your phone against external threats.
If you don’t need that much security, but you still want more peace of mind, Google will improve its old find my device function. Android 16 will introduce the Find Hub, which will be a much more robust location to follow all your devices, including Android telephones, wearables and accessories that use Ultra-Wideband (UWB), similar to Apple AirTags.
Google introduces new UWB options to help find objects in the neighborhood, and they will first be rolled out to Motorola’s Moto tag in the coming months. The new Find Hub can also use satellite connectivity to find devices and keep users informed. In addition, if you lose your luggage, Google works directly with certain airlines such as British Airways to have you share your tag information so that they can search for the bag they have lost.
Gemini comes to your car … and your TV … and your watch, and …
Today’s Android show was not just about Android. Google has also made some major announcements about Google Gemini. Gemini comes on many more devices. Gemini comes to wear OS watches. Gemini comes to Android car and cars that perform Google native.
Gemini comes to Google TV. Gemini even comes to Google’s Android XR, a platform for XR glasses that do not even exist yet (or at least you can’t buy them). For a short moment in the Android show we caught a glimpse of the possible upcoming glasses of Google.
You can talk live with Gemini and have a conversation in your car on the way to work. “Hey Gemini, I need advice to ask my boss to promote!” Or “Hey Gemini, why is my life so empty that I talk to a machine in my car when I could listen to music or a real crime podcast?”
I may sound like an AI skeptic, but Google’s own suggestions are equally dystopian. Google says on the way to your book club, you could ask Gemini to summarize that book that you read long ago (and usually forgetting) and proposing discussion topics. That doesn’t sound like a book club that I want to do with.
Google did not offer specific timing for one of the functions mentioned in the Android show and only said that these concepts would appear in the coming months. It is unusual for Google to share so much news Google I/OIt takes place from 20-21 May near the headquarters in Mountain View, I will be on site on Google I/O with our new chief Jake Krol to collect something new.
With the Pixel 9a The launch has already been assumed, and now Team Android all beans spill, I suspect that Google I/O is mainly about AI. Google removes these facts, so I don’t waste time with questions about new phones when it wants to talk more about Gemini and all new AI developments. Or maybe, even better, the Android XR news today was just a hint of what’s coming. Stay informed, we will know more next week!
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