Google unveils Android M: New Version Enhances System's Stability and Usability, Set to be Released in Q3
Google has officially revealed its next mobile platform update known as Android M at its I/O conference in San Francisco on Thursday. The new version of Android is set to improve the system's stability and usability through Android M's additional features like the app permissions, Chrome custom tabs, fingerprint support, Android Pay, Doze and more.
It has been a whole year since Google introduced the Android Lollipop at its I/O conference in 2014 and it was just about time that the company announced its successor -the Android M. Sundar Pichai, senior vice president of products at Google, has mentioned in the conference that the next version of Android focuses more on going back to basics which is why instead of introducing brand new design and aesthetics, Android enhances its system's stability and usability.
The newly introduced Android operating system might not sound that arresting but the company has made sure that its long-term additions will prove its update's significance. Dave Burke, the company's vice president of engineering, presented the major features Android users can expect in the next version of its OS.
First on the list is the app permission which allows the users to accept or deny individual permissions as they see fit. Instead of requesting it during the point of installation, the app permission will now be set the first time a user tries a feature. "You don't have to agree to permissions that don't make sense to you," Burke said.
Android M also features Chrome Custom Tabs which enable applications to launch a customized window while an active app is running instead of opening the Chrome application separately. The new update will also "standardize support" fingerprint scanners which can be used in unlocking phones and making purchases in real-life stores or in the Play Store through Google's new payment system called the Android Pay.
One more notable addition to Android's forthcoming update is its enhancement to power and charging with the use of a new function called Doze. The new feature will use motion detectors to identify when the device's inactivity in order to reduce background processes.
These are only a few of the major improvements Google has developed for the next version of Android. The Android M developer preview is already available since its introduction at the I/O conference but the final version is set to be rolled out to the public in the third quarter of 2015.