Android P is the upcoming operating system of Google. Its beta is available now. Android 9.0 release is expected in August.The three main highlights in Android P for users will be:
1. Digital WellBeing.
2. Gesture Navigation.
3. Improved Battery Life using AI.
Digital WellBeing:
Digital WellBeing is Google’s initiative around limiting the amount of time you spend mindlessly scrolling on your phone.
As the name suggests, Digital WellBeing tools allows users to have awareness of how they use the digital device(Smartphone) and for what purposes. Basically it allows users to track how they use their phone. It not only tracks but also provides the following great features to smoothly limit the use of the device:
a. Unplug yourself from the digital space using Digital WellBeing:
Users could use the Unplugging Features for having a quality time with what really matters to them. Unplugging Features would include some really cool options like Wind Down and Work Profiles.
When WindDown is activated the whole device screen goes grey and all notifications or buzzing stuff are silenced for the time you set.
While Work Profiles will give you two profiles on one phone: work and personal. When you switch to personal, all your work apps will hide automatically. Like your calendar, your emails, your notifications. So, when you leave the office at the end of the day, you know you’re not taking work with you at your home sweet home.
b. Be extra productive using Digital WellBeing:
Flip to shhh…
Starting from Google’s Pixel 3 and above devices, when you put your device face down and it automatically mutes your notifications.Such an easy way to enable Do Not Disturb mode never existed in any OS. Imagine if you’re in a meeting or eating dinner, you can make phone go shhhhh without even touching the screen.
The Focus Mode
We all want that distraction-free golden time in which we can be super-productive to complete our goals.This mode is a Big YES to the user’s super-productive time. With this mode you can disable all the apps that distracts you for a specific time.
c. Be on track using Digital WellBeing:
It’s everything in one place called Dashboard. Dashboard keeps track on how much time you spend in your apps, Which ones send you the most notifications and also how many times you unlock your phone. It’s an awesome tracker in one place.
d. Be in charge of what your kids do on their phones using Digital WellBeing:
Family Link feature lets you connect a child’s device to your own so you can keep track on all your child’s activity on his phone and also set digital ground rules to keep him on track or at least not slipping off the track. The Parent can create screen time limits, manage the apps and websites child uses and even lock a kid’s device remotely.
This OS unleashes true Parent Power…HeHeHe…
So, Digital Wellbeing is really going to be a boon from Google to all the users of Android 9.
Gesture Navigation.
It is Google’s biggest change to Android’s navigation bar since Android 4. In the new, the old three navigation icons style at the bottom of the phone has been replaced by a single pill-shaped icon in the bottom center of the screen.
To open Google Assistant, a long-press to the digital button will do the work. Swipe up from the center and it will bring you to the apps that you were using in a horizontal scroll. To get the App Drawer just swipe up from the center icon. Tap on it and it will bring you back home.
Some users would find it really cool and easier than the older 3-button style while some might find it uncomfortable to use them. Keeping this in mind, users could have an option to select the navigation style from the old and new one.
Improved BatteryLife using AI:
Starting with Android 6.0 Marshmallow (with the introduction of Doze) all the way up to Android 8.0 Oreo – Wise Limits, battery life optimization has been a big focus of Google. Unfortunately, there were a number of complaints about severe battery drain with Oreo which Google has kept in mind for Android 9.
Android 9 has a new feature called “Adaptive Battery” which applies machine learning to the problem of our ever-draining power cells.
Google collaborated with Alphabet’s DeepMind team in London to build this feature. It is designed to prioritize your favorite apps and put more limitations on the phone’s resources for the apps you use less frequently. Eventually, the tech will predict the apps you’re going to use over the next few hours, as well as the ones you’re not going to use, and then limit the battery for those apps which are not frequently used.
So let’s hope that this battery saving feature really keeps up with its promises.
Wrapping it Up:
Android 9 is really going to be a great surprise with really all new cool features never seen in any previous OS, so let’s wait for the much awaited Android 9 release.
And don’t forget to guess the name of the Android 9 OS. I am sure it will be delicious….
