This week 9to5Google's Abner Li and Kyle Bradshaw discuss the leaked Android 12 mockups, what new features are possibly coming, App Pairs, return of "Columbus", and more.
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Hosts
Links
- Android 12 design mockup leak reveals radical visual overhaul, first features [Gallery]
- Android 12 working on in-depth theming system that can even recolor apps
- Android 12 set to revamp split screen with ‘App Pairs’
- Android 12 should mark return of ‘Columbus’ double tap gesture for Pixels
- Google updates Android Beta Feedback app ahead of Android 12 Developer Preview
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Transcription
Kyle [00:00:02] Hello everybody, and welcome to Alphabet Scoop Episode one hundred and twelve the 12th, they're being surprisingly appropriate as you'll learn more in a minute. And I'm joined here with Avner this week. Then Ben will not be joining us as he is a bit under the weather, but feeling better? I haven't watched you jump on into what we can't count on with Android 12.
Leaked Android 12 mockups
Abner [00:00:27] So, yes, on Tuesday, we had a rather unprecedented week of what looks to be Android 12. So before the start of any developer preview, Google shares, of course, they share this stuff with their partners. And apparently one of the documents that highlights the high level changes in Android 12 was Thelo a screenshot and made public. And this gave us what by all by all accounts, is what Android is going to look like. So starting on this, the. Bold screenshot of a new home screen that for the most part, it looks like the pixel launcher on Android, you happened today, but there it is a stark difference in that it is themed. The wallpaper is theming the rest of the system. And one of the reasons we think this week is very much authentic is because just last month we had a our own reporting about such a feature, which Kyle is going to dove into.
Kyle [00:01:56] Right.
Android 12 in-depth theming system
Kyle [00:01:56] So we found that Android 12 is going to expand the work that's got started with Android 10, where Android introduced the idea of light theme and dark theme. Android 12 seems to be adding this much deeper, far more colorful theming system where you can choose one of a few preset colors. So don't go thinking you can choose one of a million different colors. It's you got presets, but if you can choose one of a few preset colors or have it be chosen for you based on your wallpaper, and the majority of Android is going to recolor itself to that theme, to the point that even even third party apps, if they so choose, can use that theme. Which is really bold and interesting and it.
Kyle [00:02:58] It's the.
Kyle [00:03:00] The cornerstone, really, of all of these screenshots is these leaked mockups is this this color system, it's unavoidable even in the camera app.
Abner [00:03:11] So one of the examples of that extending into third party applications is in this mock up. Anyway, we see the dock with full apps, the phone app, the clock app and the camera, everything but the Web browser. It matches the wallpaper. And that the background is is the same color that matches these mountains and hills that's in the wallpaper. And everything is just themed around that in a way that you wouldn't associate with Google's usual app icon design. So it's it's it really personalized your phone ad in the way that is really, really in the past a quiet a you install a third party launcher and then get act and then downvote icon packs. But Google is giving its own clock, its own interpretation at. Pretty intensive customization from a rather minimal for a rather minimal amount of work, which in this case appears to just be choosing the wallpaper. I wonder if Google is going to let people how how much theming, what is they basically going to be a giant switch that lets you turn off this theming and use the experience, the like the default theme on and what you have. And I wonder.
Kyle [00:04:53] Or if that default theme is just going to be white or black, as it were, or essentially the light or the dark is the default. More after these themes are even going to have their own, like, is there a dark sand variant?
Abner [00:05:11] Yeah, that it really does conflict with the idea. Well, if Google puts in the work, I'm sure they could do a light and dark theme. I think that would be necessary because as much customization as there is in there appears to be, I think some people always want to adopt them. So that might be a prerequisite to all of these themes. So, yeah, these these this screenshot, I think it's somewhat notable that we also there's a I we see a black dot and all these screen shots in the middle of the screen suggests suggesting where the front facing camera is at the top. So I don't know if that's the direction that the pixel phones taking to see it because there is always some close alignment. I wouldn't read too much into it, but maybe it's a hint at where Hadaway is going, but just a thought. So yeah, this design, would you use it. Would you go all out and customize?
Kyle [00:06:24] And pick the perfect wallpaper to get the perfect theme, if they if if there's a nice dark blue or something along those lines. Yeah, I would probably would probably do it. Something that's not just black. Yeah. Yeah. I think it would look pretty good. Now to sand. Send Miss me with that. What color would you pick.
Abner [00:06:48] Oh I'll just stick with the thought that you of the usual doc dark palette and black accent color which was why I was asking. Oh yeah. It's, it's familiar but I don't know maybe I'll try a crack at it. It's, I don't know. It all depends on.
Abner [00:07:06] I guess the preset wallpapers are going to be really important if this works out, because presumably they'll be perfectly themed to what to do the default color packs you were mentioning at the top. But, yeah, it's I think people are going to love this, that there's no doubt that people would enjoy this deeper level of customization, how it works, how it conflicts with third party OEMs, particularly Samsung.
Abner [00:07:41] That's the question that deserves. That'