Despite all the efforts of Apple with its iOS, Android is still the most popular mobile operating system. Android was installed on approximately 80% of smartphones shipped to stores in 2020, according to analysts at Counterpoint. We show how the Android 12 Snow Cone OS, released in 2021, is different.
Due to the availability and popularity of the OS, Google constantly monitors its updates. As is the case with iOS, developers generally do not rebuild the system, but only add critical updates.
By tradition, the new version of the operating system received a name associated with another sweetness. This time Google chose Snow cone – crushed sweet ice.
Android 12 release date
Before releasing an operating system, developers carefully check it in several stages. Android 12 is no exception. For the first time, the OS was shown to the public back in February 2021. Then the developer version was made public, and the official release of Android 12 took place during the Google I / O 2021 conference on May 18, 2021. After that, another testing began – already open. So far, only Google Pixel smartphones participate in it.
However, the fact of the official release of Android 12 does not mean that the update will immediately begin to come to users “over the air”. The official presentation is scheduled for October 27-28, 2021. Around the same time, smartphones will start selling in which the new OS is installed by default.
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Overview of new products at the Google I / O 2021 conference from the Pro Tech channel.
What devices will Android 12 run on?
As a rule, smartphones released no later than two years before the release of a new version of Android receive support for a new version of Android. We already know that Android 12 will work with most 2021 and 2020 devices, and possibly some 2019 models.
Here is a preliminary list of manufacturers and smartphones that will support Android 12. It may expand over time.
- Google Pixel 5, 4, 3
- Samsung Galaxy S21, S20, Note20, Z Flip, S10, Note 10, Fold, A30, A51, A50, A70, A71, A80, A90, M21, M30
- Xiaomi Mi 11, Mi 10, Mi 9, POCO F2, POCO M3, Redmi Note 9, Mi Note 10 Pro, Blackshark 3, Blackshark 2
- Huawei P40 Lite, P Smart S, Nova 7i
- OnePlus 9, 8, 7
- Realme 7, 6, C3, Narzo 20, Narzo 10, X50, X7, X3
What’s new in Android 12
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Overview of the Android 12 operating system from THE ROCO channel.
Design
The appearance of the operating system can be improved indefinitely. According to the Androidauthority.com portal, in Android 12 they decided to make it even more “weightless”. To do this, for example, they got rid of the full-sized rectangular search widget on the main screen – now it will be replaced by a small analogue that expands when clicked.
Rectangular shapes will be eliminated in all elements of the system, all corners of Android 12 elements will be rounded.
For the unity of the concept of appearance, the design of application loading windows will be generated by the operating system itself, based on the color scheme of the program. By the way, the shades of the entire system will depend on the color of the wallpaper – something similar has already been seen in non-standard launchers for Android.
The quick settings icons in the notification shade will make a little smaller and increase the space between them to avoid false clicks. By the way, in the notification curtain itself and in the phone settings, the avatar of the phone user from his Google account will now show off.
By and large, insider predictions about the design in Android 12 came true, but in a much broader sense. Scattered assumptions about the “weightless” appearance of the new OS were embodied in a whole concept called “Material you”, which replaced the previous “Material design”. The developers themselves call the design update perhaps the largest in the history of their OS.
The essence of “Material you” is that the system itself adapts to the image on the desktop, and selects the desired shades for the entire color scheme. For example, for wallpaper with a soft pink color, the algorithm will select a theme and program design in pastel colors. With this extraordinary method, Google developers want to unify the system outwardly so that it looks elegant on all devices with the new OS. Of course, “Material you” will work most adequately with “branded” devices and programs from Google.
It is noteworthy that the visual concept will be universal for all devices on one Google account. The colors you are used to will be found in a smartphone, tablet, smart watch and even Android-auto.
Technical changes
The technical part of Android 12 smartphones will also receive updates. Perhaps the most interesting will be the new software interfaces for working with content.
For example, now it will be possible to insert images into the messenger without saving them on the device. We saw a picture on the Internet, clicked “Copy”, and then pasted it directly into the messenger.
Also, support for the .AVIF (image) and .HEVC (video) formats will be added to the new version of the OS. At the same size as .JPG and .AVI, they have the best quality.
LaMDA AI interface
During the presentation, developers from Google Android 12 drew attention to the artificial intelligence engine under the unusual name LaMDA. It was created by “live” communication with devices on various topics. A self-learning system takes data from the Internet and its database, and then gives the user quite meaningful answers. As an example, during the presentation, Google CEO Sundar Pichai talked to the planet Pluto on the topic of cold and gravity. The interface is planned to be used in the voice assistant and Google search engine, as well as in the Google Workplace workspace.
Google maps update
The American company did not reinvent the wheel, and in Android 12 they simply made the “native” navigation application more convenient and intuitive. For example, algorithms will now indicate to pedestrians exactly where the road crossing is located on the street, and motorists will be “guided” through the least loaded driveways. Also, the developers will simplify the navigation of pedestrians in places where it is most difficult to do so. Just turn on the app and the camera will show you which of the aisles of the airport or shopping center you need to enter.
Project Starline
The most “space” and ambitious project from Google is Project Starline. This is a special algorithm for processing video images in real time, which, according to the developers, looks like a “magic mirror”. Naturally, there are no miracles inside, but there are methods for working with cameras and device sensors. The system creates a 3D image of the interlocutor, processes the image and displays it on a special light field display in the form of a hologram. Of course, you won’t be able to see such beauty on the screen of a smartphone, but, apparently, it is possible to adapt a smartphone as a camera for creating holograms.
One hand control
Due to the large size of smartphones, it becomes inconvenient to operate them with one hand. Some firmwares add a special function that narrows the effective part of the screen to a diagonal of ~ 5 inches, but there was no convenient analogue in the official versions. In version 12, this oversight was decided to be corrected. Now even a “shovel” can be controlled by a person with a small palm. It is noteworthy that the unused part of the screen will simply blur with a neutral color – it looks much more aesthetically pleasing than the black bars in similar solutions from other developers.
Working with screenshots
Such updates can hardly be called critical, but they greatly simplify the user’s life. Now a small image editor will be built into the screenshot program. You can add text, emoji, or blur part of the screenshot. Also in the screenshot will allow you to draw by hand. The screenshots themselves can be made long so that users do not have to collect them in one chain on their own.
Privacy and security
Google decided to listen to users who are worried about their personal data. In Android 12, it will be possible to turn off the microphones and cameras of the smartphone at the system level. To do this, you will not need to go into the device settings – the function will become available from the notification curtain.
For convenience, all privacy settings were moved to a separate item “Privacy Dashboard”. In this menu, the system clearly shows which applications have recently used the smartphone’s camera or microphone. Also now Android will indicate in the upper corner of the screen the use of the camera or microphone by an application with a small icon.
For those who are afraid to be without help at the right time, we added the function of calling emergency services. If the phone detects an emergency (for example, a sharp blow or pressing a special set of buttons), it will immediately contact the rescuers and start making loud sounds to attract the attention of passers-by.
Game Mode
The new version of Android will have a “native” mode for mobile gaming. Like its many counterparts, it will clean up RAM before launching games, adjust screen brightness, and silence pop-up notifications from non-gaming applications at the most inopportune moment.
Extra Dim vision protection function
Resource Droid-Life.com reports that the new version of the Android OS will have a special eye protection feature, which will be called in English Extra Dim. This phrase can be translated into as “Additional dimming”, but it is not at all a fact that the function will be called that way in the Russified version of the OS.
The Extra Dim function is intended primarily for those who use a smartphone or tablet at night, without turning on the lighting. The fact is that each device has its own preset brightness settings, and even the minimum values uXNUMXbuXNUMXbmay not be very pleasing to the eyes in the dark. And Extra Dim will reduce the screen brightness even below the threshold provided by the manufacturer in the factory settings. In addition to brightness, you can also adjust the intensity of the screen backlight.