Android L Developer Preview: ‘L’ for Love.
About two weeks back, Google unveiled the latest and greatest of its mobile platform — Android. It has been touted as the biggest release in the history of Android by Google themselves, Android L brings many changes to the operating system, both cosmetic as well as functional to make this version of Android truly stand out. Google did the unthinkable and in a way similar to Apple, they released a developer preview of their new operating system for select Nexus devices. This preview image was intended for developers to test their apps and update them with the latest libraries and design language for more cohesiveness when the public build finally comes out sometime in October. I have been running this build for about a week now and this articles highlights my experience of using it so far. But first, here are the major changes Android ‘L’ brings over its predecessor Android Kitkat.
One of the most major changes that Android L brings is the new design language by Google branded as ‘Material Design’. L also brings notable additions such as ‘Project Volta’ and an all new runtime. Google has been addressing the design front of software for quite sometime now, but now with ‘Material Design’ it has finally got it right. The ‘Holo interface’ was a step in the right direction but it seemed too flat. ‘Material Design’ is an attempt at combining skeuomorphism and minimalism. It aims to achieve the effect of textured paper and the rippling of ink by using an all new elevation field. This new philosophy is dominated by new transitions and all new ink like ripple effects which act as feedback mechanisms whenever any part of the interface is touched. It makes the app a joy to use when implemented.
‘Project Volta’ on the other hand promises optimisations which will increase the battery life of handsets running ‘L’ by almost 30%. It also brings the already popular ‘Battery Saver Mode’ as an inbuilt feature in Android. This mode has been a part of many Android skins already, but it’s good to see Google taking steps to focus on battery life as an integral part of Android. The new runtime makes the phone smoother, cuts app loading time significantly and is more battery conscious. However, it comes at the cost of some extra memory usage when applications are installed. That shouldn’t be a problem considering most phones have a 32 or 64 GB model anyways. Now, without further ado, here are some screenshots of Android L running on my Nexus.
The following images highlight the various new improvements and features introduced in the Developer Preview of Android L.
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The new lockscreen that has been introduced. Lockscreen widgets are missing and notifications take the centre stage. In addition to the camera icon on the right, there is a new dialer icon on the left. There are all new softkeys and notification bar icons. Google has also thrown in a mysterious easter egg considering it hasn’t branded this release of Android as off yet.[/caption]
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The settings app gets the Material overhaul. Everything is lighter and cleaner along with the addition of a universal search function for easy access to various settings. The new battery saver mode can be configured as per the user’s liking and I can say that it works really well.[/caption]
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The new dialer app. The notification bar is a shade darker than the primary colour used in the app (in this case turquoise). The entire app has been updated with the new ripple effects and the ‘paper and ink’ feeling. There are three tabs which make accessing contacts a breeze. Overall it is a step in the right direction and definitely more user-friendly than the older releases.[/caption]
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The new materialistic recent apps drawer and notification shade. Gone are the days of swiping down with two fingers. Google has arranges the toggles smartly above your notifications.[/caption]
Using Android L has been a blast for me. When it first booted up, performance was greatly improved and everything was very fluid. Battery life for the first few days was mediocre, but after a few cycles and the usage of the battery saver mode, I could easily make it through a day with about 4 hours of screen on time which was nothing short of brilliant. (Project Volta certainly shines.). Design has also been improved massively. The new notification pull down and the dialer app are great pieces of software with an intuitive user interface. The new keyboard makes typing a joy. Google also gave us a sneak peek of the new Calendar, Music and Gmail app at I/O(Attached below) and all of those looked beautiful. I am really excited to see how major developers like Facebook and Google itself use Material Design. To me, it seems like Google has finally solved two of Android’s biggest problems, design and battery life.
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The all new Google Suite of Apps for phones powered by Android. Coming in October alongside Android ‘L’.[/caption]
I can say this without a doubt that Android is now a true ecosystem. Although it has taken them years, Google has slowly ironed out all of Android’s shortcomings and Android L is a true representation of that. Packing the best of design and functionality alongside the same level of openness and freedom, Android L serves to be a game changer. It is the best that Android has ever been. This is the beginning of an all new era for Android. An era not dominated by bugs and badly designed apps, but an era designed to keep the basics in check and give the consumer the best that mobile technology has to offer. Google has said that there is a lot to show about ‘L’ (including its desert name) so we can expect a lot more goodies to come. It wouldn’t take a genius to guess that all this would be revealed alongside the new Nexus phone which has traditionally been launched around October. All I can say is, well-played Google, I am impressed by the preview and am certainly looking forward to some more of that Android ‘L’ove.
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