Google’s latest version Android Pie is jam-packed with amazing new features to lure the users. As Google believes that your mobile should be thoroughly yours, and should be able to adapt to your life, Android 9.0 Pie offers several new features powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI). Pie will be one of the biggest changes in the way Android looks and feels since the last few years. It offers a more colorful interface, various new movement animations, and rounded edges. Such additions are quality-of-life improvements and so, users should not expect any drastic changes to the way mobile is used.
A new amazing feature is App Actions built into the App Drawer. It suggests actions based on the users’ Smartphone habits. So, if you call your wife at the same time every day, a button would appear in the App Drawer that will automatically start a call with her. If you have earphones plugged in, App Actions may provide a link to save the playlist and users can save it with a few clicks.
A few other additions are more background-focused. Adaptive Brightness learns how you like the brightness in various surroundings, and automatically adjusts the mobile brightness to match your personal preferences. Adaptive Battery learns which apps and services you use, and provides maximum power to them, and also limits the power usage to the apps that are not used often.
Slices
Slices are an amazing improvement in Android 9 Pie that allows the developers to deliver useful actions for their application. For instance, if you search for Uber on your mobile, there will be an option to show you how far the nearest cars are. This unique feature isn’t available right now, but we can expect that in the later update.
More powerful lock screen
The lock screen in Android is becoming more powerful. In Android 9.0 Pie, the lock screen will show a lot of features and not just time, at least on Pixel phones. It also shows weather updates and upcoming calendar events, helping users get all the information at a simple glance.
Google has brought the biggest change to the traditional three buttons of home, back and overview. The new gesture navigation button occupies the same space, but the home button is now a pill-shaped one. Users can tap it to go home, flick it up to view the recently used applications, swipe upwards twice, or even pull it up further. You can even drag it to right to switch to the last application and drag and hold to cycle around the recently used apps. Back button still appears when required, but the overview button has been eliminated. The gestures aren’t activated by default. Settings > System > Gestures and choose the “Swipe up on Home button.”
Rotation suggestion
Though it is a small change, it is the most useful change. When you have your rotation lock turned on to prevent the screen rotation accidentally, and you turn your on phone intentionally, there would be a little button on the navigation bar. Tap the button to rotate the screen from landscape to portrait or vice versa.
Time on the left for screen notches
The time from top right of status bar has shifted to the top left in Android 9 Pie. It isn’t a dramatic change, but it makes some space for screen cutouts called “notches”, as seen on the Huawei P20 Pro or OnePlus 6.
Digital Wellbeing
Google’s anti-Smartphone addiction tools (known as “Digital Wellbeing” collectively) are presently in beta testing for various users. The Dashboard shows the time you spend on your mobile and in apps. App Timer is an awesome app that allows the users set time limits for different apps. For example: If your child spends a lot of time on YouTube, you can restrict the usage by using App Timer. Do Not Disturb (DND) function silences the visual and audible alerts on your phone.
Enhanced Security
Gone are the days when users allowed apps to access camera and microphones, and they could be used whenever they want. Android P blocks such apps that run in the background and restricts them from accessing camera and microphones. Sensors such as accelerometers and gyroscopes use continuous reporting mode and the same will be restricted so that they don’t receive any events. Android Pie also restricts access to call logs so that unauthorized access to information such as phone call records can be prevented. Contacts, WiFi location, and heart rate sensors also have such restrictions.
Notifications Control
Android Pie provides better control and reporting of the notifications. Users had to rely on third party apps for checking the notifications and this, sometimes, distracted the users. Now, with the Pie, users can built-in reporting feature. You will get an idea about the apps that misbehave and so, you take adequate actions.
The easier way to take screenshots
Android 9.0 brings an addition of the screenshot button on the power menu. The users won’t have to struggle with two buttons simultaneously for taking the screenshots. Taking screenshots will be a child’s play now with Android Pie.
How much does it cost?
Android 9 Pie is free updates all the eligible devices. Avoid paying for Android updates. So, if someone asks you to pay for updating your Android device, do not pay anything.
When can I get it?
As of now, Android Pie is available for the recent Google Pixel smartphones or the Essential Phone. Other Android users may have to wait for the notification and update their system for the latest version.
Smartphone manufacturers are working hard to make this latest update available for Android devices. The OnePlus 6 users will not have to wait much for the update. Samsung, Huawei, and other Android phone users may have to wait for a little to get this update on their smartphones. Let’s wait to see whether Android Pie lures the users in the coming months or not.
Author Bio
Bilal Momin is a co-founder and CEO of i-Verve Inc – a leading Xamarin App Development Company. He is very enthusiastic and has an immense craving for knowledge. His key strengths which are confidence and decision making are backed by his knowledge and logical problem-solving abilities. His result-driven approach and the attitude of going behind the intent of any action have tremendously helped i-Verve in achieving innumerable milestones and reaching the place where it is now. Other than being a great CEO, he’s also an exceptionally good photographer, a golfer, and tech-blogger.
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