Google conference in San Francisco announced a new version of the Android operating system — Android M. the Platform, replacing the current version of Android 5.0 Lollipop (Android L), presented a year ago, contains over 200 improvements.
Last year in the battle of the mobile OS of Apple and Google could happen the turning point: there was the long-awaited transition from Android 4.x to the fifth version. In the end, Apple with its iOS 8 does not let them on any particular point, but devastating victory over Google failed too: Lollipop many fans of the OS saw exactly what before was looking forward to.
In 2015, the year of the conference are reversed chronology, and this played into the hands of Apple: it’s hard to imagine that WWDC is going to be worse than I/O 2015. Google is weakly manifested himself in the role of company that needs to set the trend. The Prime Minister described with one adjective is “boring”: when the ceremony ended, even the most devoted Android fans acknowledged that Apple’s event — at times pathetic, interesting and causes more resonance.
Presenting Android M, Google announced that it is the most “polished” release in the history of the mobile OS. Even so, to rejoice while early. The main reason of fear is a too slow process updates. According to statistics at the beginning of may 2015, for six months, the share Lollipop (from other versions) barely approached 10%. Even the ancient Android 4.1 and Android 4.2 users are still more to 15.6% and 18.1% respectively. About the proliferation of iOS 8 in this context, it is simply incorrect to say: the mark of 10% was passed after a few weeks of release.
Google Now “one touch”:
In Android M upgrade touched the Google Now assistant has become much smarter. He can help in small everyday situations (e.g., prompt, what time’s your plane), and one tap will reveal information received in smartphone information.
Now the user can invoke Google Now from virtually anywhere in the operating system, and it will show additional information to the content that the user is already looking at. For example, after the user has received from a friend inviting me to go to a movie, he can immediately, without leaving the conversation, hold down the Home button and after a few seconds the display shows everything you need to know about painting that remains to be seen.
App permissions:
Despite the fact that I/O this year is earlier than WWDC, Google still managed to copy the idea about Apple stable mobile OS. A few weeks ago revealed that iOS 9 will focus on refinement, not on new features. On the eve of almost the same idea repeated from the stage at I/O: update to Android Lollipop M focused on the destruction of accumulated bugs.
However, the newest features are still there, but to call them “new” is quite difficult. The main change is that now the program will not request permission service (as now) and one of: the user can give access to your photos, but to deny the application to access the contacts. So about my whole life was in iOS, but Google have reached a certain permit only by may 2015.
Support fingerprint scanners:
Now fingerprint sensors — official element of the Google mobile OS. Android M as iOS, supports fingerprint scanners at the operating system level. The user will be able to unlock the device, to buy apps in Google Play. Other possible applications will be able to add the developers themselves.
Android Pay
Another innovation in the Android M steel built-in payment service Android Pay, the successor to the not entirely successful Google Wallet. Service Android Pay is similar to Apple Pay — it will help to pay for purchases in stores, and have built-in support fingerprint facilitate authentication.
If you want to know how long it took to create Android Pay, we will reply — 8.5 months: most likely, working on its own payment system was launched on 9 September 2014, when Tim cook announced Apple Pay. Android Pay works on the same principle (plus NFC contactless payments, Host Card Emulation) and can be integrated into any application. According to Google, the coverage of the system will be 700 000 stores in the United States (the exact plans for expansion yet).
The Doze Mode
An important argument in the struggle for an audience — even one small step to optimal consumption. In the new version of Android appeared power supply technology called Doze. She analyzes the movement of the device in space and in case of rest (assuming that the owner of them at this point is not) introduces open the application in a special mode with lower power consumption.
Google representatives said that the Doze technology will allow up to 2-fold increase in the operation time HTC Nexus 9. In essence, transformed flagship tablet in the iPad in standby mode, these gadgets almost never leave a cent. Other Android devices will also hold a charge longer, but certainly not twice.
