The new version of the Android operating system is here. During Google I / O, the company introduced Android 12, which has been redesigned from colors, to shapes, light and movement, to offer a dynamic, expressive and personal experience.
According to Google, with every touch, slide and scroll, Android 12 users will be able to feel their devices come to life. For example, when you dismiss notifications on the lock screen, the clock will appear larger to confirm that there are no more pending.
In addition, Android devices that are updated will be faster and respond with improved energy efficiency, so that their batteries slightly extend their autonomy. This was achieved by reducing the CPU time required to use central system services by up to 22 percent, as well as reducing the use of large cores by the system server by up to 15 percent.
Other modifications fall on the shaded area of the notifications, the quick settings and the power button, to simplify their functions a bit.
The notification area promises to be sharper, when you take a look at the alerts and what you hear or see. Quick settings will give you control of the operating system by swiping and tapping the screen, and will offer new tools, such as Google Pay or Home controls.
The Google Assistant will also have new features. By long pressing the power button, users will be able to make phone calls, ask questions or read text-heavy articles aloud, using voice commands.
More privacy
In terms of security, Google promises to offer greater transparency about which applications access people’s data and will provide more controls to make informed decisions about the amount of private information that apps can access, in addition to showing how often they do so .
To do this, a new indicator has been added to the top right of the status bar that shows when applications are accessing the microphone or camera. If people want to remove the app’s access to these sensors throughout the entire system, two new controls have been enabled in the quick settings.
And with the new permissions for approximate location, apps can be limited to only see the approximate location in a precise place. For example, for weather apps that do not require this data to provide an adequate forecast.
Additionally, Google introduced Android Private Compute Core, which will integrate new technologies that are private by design to keep users’ personal information secure, private, and local on their devices.
Private Compute Core enables features like instant captioning, knowing what music is playing near you, and providing intelligent responses. The processing of this data is carried out locally, isolated from the network to preserve privacy.
Android 12 will also provide improved accessibility features for people with limited vision, with scrollable screenshots, chat widgets that bring users’ favorite people to the home screen, and more.
These functions will be available starting today in Android 12 Beta, available on Pixel smartphones and other Android devices from brands such as OnePlus, Lenovo, Asus, Oppo, Realme, TCL, Xiaomi and ZTE, among others.
Currently, there are more than 3 billion active Android devices around the world.
