From Material design in 2014, to Material Theming in 2018, to the latest (and most radical) Material You – the evolution of Google’s design language has been nothing short of amazing. Just like the name suggests, Material You puts ‘you’ or the user in the centre of its design language, allowing them to express themselves through colours. In a way, it looks to the users for inspiration on the design, rather than letting apps impose their design language on users, as was the case with the previous iteration.
So, what is Material You about, and what other changes are expected in Android 12? Let’s find out:
Material You
Material You brings a huge design change to Android through its colour extraction feature. This feature extracts colour from the screen wallpaper and lends complementary colour tones across the device’s applications to display a more unified look. Also, Material You in android 12 has made UI elements more accessible and thumb-friendly while holding the device in one hand. Google has tried to make the interaction between users and android devices easier by using Material You design language in android 12.
What’s more in android update 12?
The android update 12 has new animations, lock screen features, widgets, and much more; in short, we can say that the new update is giving a complete refresh to Android.
Lock screen
The digital clock on the lock screen is much bigger when compared to the last android version. It is designed to dominate the screen even if a bunch of notifications pile up. The unlock animations are also new and beautiful. The good part is that the animations and complete Material You design will reduce the Central Processing Unit (CPU) consumption to make android devices perform faster.
New widgets
As you unlock the device and enter the home-screen, you will find the widgets have been redesigned for a completely new UI. From the clock to the weather update icon and even the volume slider is new and aesthetically pleasing. You can access the widget features with long press on the home screen and set preferences more easily.
Quick setting panel
The quick setting panel has a new design with broader icons. As the broad icons require more space, you can only keep fewer notifications in the panel. You may have to disableunimportant notifications to keep only the important ones on the dropdown slider. Another easy-to-access feature is the power off button in the panel so you can skip using the sidelock.
Image Source: https://www.theverge.com/
New map features
Another very important feature is Google Maps, which will be more detailed when compared to version 11. Along with precise directions, the maps will also show how traffic signals on your route are working in real-time.
More privacy
Android 12 comes with a Privacy Dashboard that gives users more control over the applications. This dashboard offers complete information on what type of data was accessedon which app and when.
- You can even manage the permissions to apps directly from the dashboard.
- Any app accessing the device camera or microphone while you are using the app will pop an indicator in the top-right corner.
- Even if you have allowed camera/microphone accessibility to the app in the past, you can instantly put it off with the new camera and microphone toggles in the quick setting panel. This will disable the accessibility of the camera and microphone for every app.
- The location access now has two features. Users can set approximate or precise location based on how much they trust an application.
Along with these major changes, a new AI is also added to the Android 12 – Android’s Private Compute Core. This replaces the old Device Personalization Services and will keep your personal information local to your phone such as ‘automated/smart replies’ will suggest replies based on your reply patterns.
What is the release date of Android 12 update?
The android 12 was under development since February 2021 and finally launched in Oct 2021. The update (Beta 1) is available in Google Pixel devices at present. It will soon be released to other Android handsets such as Xiaomi, Realme, One Plus, etc. Until Android 12 rolls out for all Android users, brands may release new handsets with Oxygen OS 12. Older phones can expect the update by summer 2022.
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