With the end of February approaching and the huge amount of leaks disclosed, it is a matter of time for Google to make Android 12 official and make available the first Developer Preview of the robot’s system. Codenamed “Snow Cone”, the next version of Android should mark a new stage, with profound changes not only in terms of features but also in the look and experience of use.
Responsible for practically all the leaks of Android 12 in the last few days, the site XDA Developers brought today several new information regarding the design changes and the functions that Google must implement in Android in its 12th version. Let’s go to them:
After a few years using the so-called Holo Design, Google radicalized and in 2014 announced Material Design, a lighter interface concept that had paper sheets as its main inspiration. Since then, Material Design has evolved a lot, becoming more and more responsive and attractive. Now, the Android design language may be about to undergo a new evolution.
According to the publication, the changes seen in the leaked screenshots of Android 12 are just some of the modifications that are part of the so-called “Material NEXT”. It is not known exactly whether this will be the final name of the new set of innovations, or even if these changes comprise more than just notifications, but it is certain that major changes will be made to the interface of the new Android.
The lock screen and Always-On Display should be some of the sectors where major changes will occur. Google should change the layout of the notification icons so that they are no longer centralized, realign the clock and smart space so that they are aligned to the top, move the logout button and user information to the bottom of the display and add the text Now Playing rotating from the Pixel line to the lock screen. These changes, however, must be hidden under a layout called “GX”, possibly reserved for the Pixel family.
Other modifications made to the lock screen include a long-awaited restructuring of the pattern lock, clock customization, as well as the addition of the device control panel, opened with Android 11, for quick access without the need to enter the power menu. of the system.
As we have already seen in the leaks, the area of notifications and quick settings will undergo the biggest changes. In addition to the theme that follows the colors of the wallpaper, a resource code-named “monet”, there are several references to the theme “Silk”, which is believed to be seen in the leaked screenshots. Silk can be the representative of the drastic changes made to the Android 12 theme system and is still compatible with Android TV.
Another curious change is in the quick settings panel, which would now have only two columns to allow the names of each set to be displayed next to the icon instead of being positioned below them, but it is not known how it will look.
Other major changes include automatic app splash screens to make the app launch experience more consistent; “letterbox” function, which would be related to the application window mode, now with rounded edges of adjustable size; and a new Runtime Resource Overlay (RRO), which would no longer be based on APKs to allow more profound changes to the system’s look, such as the case of “monet” in notifications.
Then going to resources, we have the arrival of Intelligent Auto Rotation. Currently, Android auto-rotation uses the gyroscope and accelerometer to set the orientation of the phone, either in portrait or landscape mode. This, however, is a problem when the user is lying down, for example, since the smartphone understands that it must position the interface in landscape mode.
One of the solutions currently used is the Autorrotation Lock, which locks the rotation in one orientation and suggests using a small button on the bottom corners of the screen that the interface should be rotated. All of these efforts should be abandoned in favor of Intelligent AutoRotation, which will combine Google AI with information from the front camera to know whether or not the user is aligned with the orientation of the phone, adjusting the interface accordingly.
Google must also follow in the footsteps of some of its partners and natively integrate Android 12 into a game mode. Unlike the service offered through Play Games, which allows the management of Google Cast in gameplay sessions, the new game mode has “game mode management and data persistence even after a reboot”, but it is not known what features will be included in him.
Taking the game mode from other manufacturers as an example, it is likely that the native function will allow you to configure basic settings such as brightness level, auto-rotation, Do Not Disturb mode, and more. Other than that, a new Bluetooth API will allow games to access the battery level of Bluetooth controls, issuing a notification during gameplay for users to put the controller on to recharge.
Finally, Google is working on a new accessibility feature to help people with vision problems. This is called Brightness Reduction, formerly known as “Bright Color Reduction”. There are no details on how the feature works, but it is known that this will be one of the standard tiles in the quick system settings.
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Android 12 has not yet been made official, but the expectation is that its first Developer Preview will arrive later this month if we take as a basis the launch schedule for Android 11.
Source: xda-developers