Abstract
- Android 16 is a welcome improve, however a few of its adjustments do not actually matter as a lot as Google may need you to consider.
- Materials 3 Expressive is extra daring, however only a new coat of paint with out the OS’s accompanying interface enhancements.
- The Discover Hub’s location sharing will not be as beneficial as you’d suppose, and Gemini’s usefulness on watches, TVs, and AR headsets stays to be seen in follow.
Upfront, I am going to admit that I am on file as preferring iPhones nowadays. My every day driver is an
iPhone 16 Pro
. However I’ve owned a number of Android telephones over time, and I nonetheless admire the platform to today. There are issues that it does higher than iOS — corresponding to voice instructions — and I like the truth that it is open-source, even when {hardware} makers haven’t got a lot alternative however to license Google companies. It would be unusual to purchase an Android telephone with out Gmail able to go, in any case.
I am wanting ahead to making an attempt units with
Android 16
pre-loaded. Nevertheless, the interface impresses me as a lot as
iOS 18
did — which is to say, not very a lot. Enhancements are all the time welcome, but based mostly on what Google’s proven to date, its newest OS nonetheless appears like a minor evolution. Let’s discuss a couple of examples of what I imply.
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1
Materials 3 Expressive
A brand new coat of (physics-based) paint
Hyperlink Picture
Android 16 actually appears to be like good. There are up to date dynamic colour themes, new font types, and much more interface animations, together with bounces and ripples for actions like swiping away your notifications. New aesthetics are literally one in every of my favourite issues about updating any OS, since I take pleasure in personalizing my telephone as a lot as potential — with out critical modding work, anyway.
For all of the hype round Materials 3 Expressive, it isn’t a radical leap past what you see in Android 15.
My criticism is simply that, for all of the hype round Materials 3 Expressive, it isn’t a radical leap past what you see in Android 15. If something, what issues extra are Google’s sensible interface adjustments, corresponding to the flexibility to each resize and reorder Fast Settings icons (a la iOS 18’s Management Heart), or observe deliveries and rideshares through Stay Updates (one other factor borrowed from Apple). A yr from now, individuals are going to care much more about checking how quickly their
Uber
goes to reach than what widget colours they’ve accessible.
I may very well be stood corrected down the road. Generally, a minimum of, these kinds of interface adjustments have a cumulative impact that may’t be conveyed by movies or screenshots. If Android 16 feels genuinely higher to make use of day-to-day because of its visible tweaks, that can rely for one thing.
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2
Discover Hub private location sharing
Helpful in principle, however how about in follow?
As an entire, I approve of the Discover Hub, a rebrand/redesign of Android’s Discover My Units app. Considered one of its signature options is healthier sharing of your real-time location with different individuals, in principle, serving to family and friends reunite after they get misplaced, or examine in on one another’s security — say if somebody’s doing a sundown jog or coming again late from a street journey. Sharers can select to time-limit this monitoring or depart it on indefinitely.
Sarcastically, I feel Discover Hub’s expanded merchandise monitoring is a much bigger deal.
I am certain some individuals will profit tremendously, however that is one other characteristic copied from Apple, particularly the Discover My app. And let me say — on my iPhone, my spouse and I nearly by no means use Discover My for following one another, despite the fact that I am out on the health club three nights per week, and our travels generally take us to the alternative facet of North America. A telephone name or textual content message is normally a pleasant means of updating somebody on what you are doing, and a few individuals are inherently uncomfortable with sharing their exact location over the web, irrespective of any Google assurances about encryption. To actually reap the benefits of Discover Hub, you may additionally want the individuals you are sharing with to have it, too.
Sarcastically, I feel Discover Hub’s expanded merchandise monitoring is a much bigger deal. Help for UWB (ultra-wideband) will make some units and tag equipment easier to seek out, and Google is increasing its associate listing, as an example, including the flexibility to share Bluetooth tag knowledge with choose airways, beginning in 2026. That is one other transfer copied from Apple.
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3
Gemini coming to extra units
The place’s my Google Nest assist?
Gemini does belong in additional locations, notably vehicles. Generally it is troublesome sufficient to decide on music or a preset vacation spot whereas driving, by no means thoughts the stuff you’d usually do in your telephone. With Gemini,
Android Auto
(and the confusingly-named
Android Automotive
) will allow you to use your voice for duties like unearthing an deal with buried in Gmail, or finding an EV charging station that additionally has a restaurant close by. If you happen to’re bored or curious, you can ask questions on every part from the Grand Canyon to the Spanish Inquisition.
I wish to like Gemini, however I am not going to be impressed by its wider footprint till I see it in real-world conditions.
The AI assistant is coming to Put on OS, Google TV, and
Android XR
as nicely, however I am skeptical of the way it’ll work on these platforms. Smartwatches generally really feel underpowered for what they’re already operating, and I do not know that I belief Gemini for film and present suggestions, not to mention answering questions by exhibiting me YouTube movies. Even well-meaning YouTube channels generally get their information flawed.
Android XR, in the meantime, is an unknown amount, since there are no suitable glasses or headsets accessible to the general public but. Once they do arrive, Gemini goes to must show wonderful object recognition to be helpful, and that is on prime of minimizing the “hallucinations” (botched solutions) it generally offers. Google suggests utilizing Gemini on Android XR for duties like dwelling enchancment — however there’s some critical hazard potential if it makes errors about issues like electrical energy or plumbing.
I wish to like Gemini, however I am not going to be impressed by its wider footprint till I see it in real-world conditions. And Google has but to replace any of its Nest audio system or shows with the expertise, which you’d suppose could be a pure match. It would be an easier means of making good dwelling automations, and a dialog is quite a bit simpler with out having to carry a telephone or distant in entrance of your face.
Heck, think about your Nest Hub with the ability to let you know that it is a mailman on the door, not your buddy who’s alleged to be dropping by.
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