Google’s Pixel 9 series may launch with a new, minimalist weather app
Google’s Pixel 9 series could be getting an exclusive new weather app, with details about the app’s software and unique, minimalist design revealed. Android Authority has posted several screenshots in a recent report, giving us a good idea of how it works in practice.
The first thing you’ll notice from the images is that the app looks simpler than the current weather tool on Pixel phones. There’s a color gradient running from top to bottom, matching your local climate. The temperature display moves from the sides to the center in a larger font. One neat detail we liked in the preview is that the degree symbol has been replaced “with an icon that represents the current weather conditions.”
In this case, it’s a crescent moon, suggesting a clear night sky. There is a “victim” in all of this, however, as the weather frog may be absent, as he doesn’t appear in the preview. It’s possible that the character “just didn’t fit in with the rest of the theme” (RIP weather frog).
Before and after / credits Android Authority pic.twitter.com/r0XZkGFEcjAugust 5, 2024
Redesigned maps
Moving down the screen, several information cards can be seen, seemingly inspired by Material You. They’re brightly colored and feature soft, rounded design elements. The section tells you the hourly forecast, 10-day forecast, humidity, wind speeds, and UV index, among other things. Android Authority claims that these can be “permanently repositioned by holding down on them” and then moving the card to a different location.
Tapping on a date in the forecast section will open a small window with a few readouts. These can’t be customized. The location selection tool in the Settings menu looks the same as in the current app, though there’s a greater emphasis on local weather.
The temperature is displayed prominently on the right side of the screen, rather than as a footnote at the bottom. Also, the frog app animations are gone. Google may have decided that those flourishes no longer have a place.
Standalone app
That Google is developing a second weather app for the Pixel 9 series may seem odd to some, considering Google Clock already offers daily forecasts and Google Search delivers local weather reports with a single request. It’s worth noting, however, that this wouldn’t be the first time the tech giant has launched an app that does the same thing as another. As the publication notes, they’ve created “five different messaging apps.”
From what we’ve read, Pixel Weather (as we’ll call it) will be a standalone piece of software, similar to Weather on iOS. It will have its own presence on the hardware, rather than just being relegated to a side function.
Android Authority states that the app will come “preinstalled” on Pixel 9 smartphones, with plans to eventually roll it out to older models. Keep in mind, these images show a “non-final release,” so take all of this information with a grain of salt. The final version could look drastically different; perhaps the weather frog is making a return.
Be sure to check out TechRadar’s list of the best Pixel phones for 2024.
