Kicking off Google IO 2018, Google’s annual developers conference in California, Sundar Pichai began the event by outlining what consumers can expect in the latest iteration of Android, code named Android P. The latest Android operating system has been built in three pillars in mind: intelligence, simplicity, and balance.
Things such as Adaptive Battery will have the operating system scan the apps used by end-users on the daily, siphoning and reserving remaining power to specifically cater to the specific apps used by the user. This adaptive technology will also be incorporated into screen brightness, automatically adjusting the brightness based on the usage patterns of the end-user.
App actions, or the ability to accurately predict what apps the user will use in any given sequence, meaning users in some instances, will only have to open one app and have Android P auto predict what actions and other apps should be opened next, an example being Spotify will automatically resume after the user connects their Bluetooth powered headphones to their smart device.
Quality of life changes will be coming to Android P, such as the ability to swipe down and have easy access to pre-determined apps that users may want to launch, without having to actually open up their app drawer and look for the specific app. The volume control will now take priority to media volume, which is something most users tend to want to adjust more frequently (no more embarrassing blasts of sound in public, or in front of Grandma).
Android P will be getting a universal dashboard feature that shows the metrics of the end user in apps used, how many times a device is unlocked, and more. YouTube will be amongst one of the first to bake this feature into their services, giving users data such as total view time on both mobile and desktop, viewable on the dashboard.
Another new feature available through Android P that will help users keep their phones down is called Shush, a feature that will automatically put your phone or smart device to sleep, with exceptions for specific people and emergencies.
Google will be releasing an Android P BETA for several flagship devices, such as phones from Sony and Samsung.
