While there’s still a lot of buzz around iOS 12, Google has yet again repeated the feat of providing a better and a smarter Android operating system. Yes, Android P it is!
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Despite not knowing what P stands for as of now, some really exciting features are known which makes Android P stand out for both – the end users and the Android App market. If you are one of these, here is everything you should be knowing that you probably don’t about Google’s Android P.
Amazing Features of Google Android P
Wondering about the elements that make Google Android P stand out and surpass its counterpart operating systems? Below is the set of features developed to raise the bars of customer experience:
- Inclusive Emojis
In the existing Android system, there are emojis with genders, symbols, numbers, seasons, vegetables, fruits, food, mode of transportation, and many other categories.
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The development:
Android P comes with new set of more than 100 emojis. This includes genderless emojis, emojis with multiple tone of skin and hair color. This is how Android P is making texting and chatting more fun for its users.
- Dashboard
With your existing Android version, can you know the amount of time spent in a day using your smartphone? Probably you can only guess so.
The development:
Android P launches a new feature called “Dashboard”, wherein it allows its users to keep an eye on their overall phone usage. This includes the time spent surfing the Internet, calls, texts, games, and so on. Android P is ensuring the digital well being of its user with this feature.
- Wind Down Mode
Your Android phone cannot tell you it’s time to bed without the assistant of any external app. However, wind down mode can!
The development:
This feature is somewhat similar to the Night mode on iOS phones. The wind down mode allows its user to set a bedtime for themselves. When it is time for to bed, it notifies the users about the time. Moreover, the screen turns gray and your phone goes into the Do Not Disturb mode automatically.
- Adaptive Brightness
The existing Android version has a power saver app activated when the battery level reaches to around 15 percent.
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The development:
In Android P, the battery saver shows the notification at 70 percent and so the battery consumption can be controlled way before it reaches at a low level. Moreover, it comes with a feature called “Adaptive Brightness”, wherein the users can adapt to the brightness to their preferences. The app learns the preferences of the user and sets it as per the requirements.
- Counterpart to Widgets: Slices
Remember widgets in your existing Android application? It is the functionality that helps you to cut the hassle and work faster.
The development:
With Android P, comes Slices. It literally cuts down the time and energy required to perform an activity on the smartphone. Say for example you want to play music. With the help of Slices you will be able to play music without opening up the actual application. This is how Android P is smarts in its own way.
- ML Kit
The existing Google does not offer any outstanding AI feature that makes the operation exciting.
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The development:
Android P comes with a machine learning kit integrated within the operating system. Using this system, adaptive brightness can be set and many other gestures can be controlled with the help of the preferences set by the end user.
- Control Over Screen Rotation
Hate it when the screen automa tilts horizontally when you need it vertical and tilts vertical when you need it to be horizontal? It is time Google took your trouble into serious consideration.
The development:
The Google Android P comes with a control over your screen rotation. You no longer have to go to the settings or notification bar to adjust your preferences. The new version helps you with a screen control functionality on the screen itself.
- New Gestures
The existing Android version does not have any concrete gestures that captures the attention of the users.
The development:
Bored of the old and mundane gestures in your existing Google version? Google Android P has in stores for you amazing gestures for switching between two apps, opening recent app, closing app, going to previous app, and the like.
What is made better with Android P?
Undoubtedly, Google’s Android P is one of the best Android versions developed till date. All thanks to the improvements that has been taken into consideration and implemented:
Better Battery Life: It comes with a feature called “Adaptive Battery” that optimizes the battery usage by learning your preferences on the apps the user is more likely to use.
Better Security: Apps do not have an access to the camera, microphone, speaker, and other sensory devices, thereby protecting the data for the users.
Better Runtime of the Apps: No more frustration to the users! The Android Runtime is made better and resultantly the apps on the smartphones will be able to run faster and consume lesser space in terms of memory.
Better Navigation with Google Maps: Love your Google Maps while you are on a drive at an untrodden path? You will love it even more now. It comes with a navigation in places like Megastores where it becomes difficult for the users to find their destination.
Better Notifications: With Android P’s “Reply” in the notification bar, the users will be able to text replies, choose photos, and stickers without having to launch an app.
Android P Gestures to Look for
Gestures and that too user-friendly gestures have been talked only around iOS, but Google’s Android P is an exception. Below are some gestures introduced in Android P along with their working:
- Closing Apps: Tap on the bottom of the App and then swipe it upwards.
- Switch between Apps: Get a preview of the recent apps by dragging the Home button from left to right. Drag Home while holding it and choose the app you want to open.
- Minimize Apps: On your current app, just tap the Home button to minimize it.
- Switch to the Last Used App: Go to the bottom of the Home screen and swipe right.
- Recent Apps: Swipe up half way from the bottom and recent apps will pop up.
Find the complete set of gestures included in Google’s Android P here:
- Active Edge
- Swipe Fingerprint for Notification
- Jump to Camera
- Flip Camera
- Swipe up on Home button
- Double Tap to Check Phone
- Lift to Check Phone
- Prevent Ringing
Steps to Download a Beta Version:
Feel like testing these features for yourself? Here’s a step-by-step method to download a Beta Version:
- Ensure that you have the compatible device: Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, Essential Phone, Nokia 7 Plus, Xiaomi mi mix 2, or Oppo R15 Pro.
- Connect to Android Beta Program.
- Enable OTA updates.
- After the enrollment, you will be able to view an update.
Disclaimer: If you decide to go back to your Android 8 version, you might lose your data.
The Influence of Android P on Android App Development Ecosystem
Since the inception of Android, Java has been used as a default language to build Android Apps, Android P has changed the norms to Kotlin. It is time for Google I/O and Kotlin has been recognised as the official language for building an Android App owing to the modern-day functionality.
With passing days, Kotlin is going to be the preferred language for building an Android App. And why not? After all it is jam-packed with benefits for both, the developers and the end users.
Kotlin has been through many ups and downs and this has what made it a mature language. There are rarely any instances reported for the dysfunction of Kotlin language by the developers. The IDE plugin has a smooth functioning with Kotlin language and it eases out many complex functioning of Android in the real-life scenario. As compared to Java, the compilation time taken in Kotlin is lesser or in some cases even faster.
Think you want to build an Android App using Kotlin? You can simply start with it in less than 10 minutes. Why? You ask! That’s because it is closely integrated with the Android Studio and the Kotlin project can be set up in as less as 10 minutes.
Another great edge that Kotlin claims over Java is, there are very little chances of errors in Kotlin and the code written is easier to understand. With these myriads of benefits that Kotlin Language carries, Android P is surely going to influence the future of Android App.
Carrying this standard set by Google, many companies have developed their Android applications using Kotlin and have had a successful launch and its after-effects. Some of the top Android applications build with Kotlin are:
- Evernote
- Simple Calendar
- Coursera
- Trello
Used by the top companies, Kotlin definitely has a long way to go with its evolution in Android App development and Google’s Android P will be fanning to this trend. All you need to do as a user is try out Google Android P and celebrate the features and all you need to do as a business is look forward to Kotlin language to get your Android Application development done. Though the P in Google’s Android P is yet to be known, the Android Application business can be definitely foreseen to prosper and flourish with this nascent operating system.