As of February 2024, there are still two leading companies that have not introduced "ai" into their own mobile operating systems, one is Apple, and the other is Google. As usual, it will take a few months for iOS 18 to be officially released, and there are still changes worth looking forward to. However, Google has completely failed in the latest release of Android 15. The first developer preview version of
android 15 was officially launched on February 16, code-named "vanilla ice cream (vanilla ice cream)". Google is still the same Google, and its love for desserts is beyond words. The design language still uses the "space theme" on Android 14. If you try to click on the Android Easter egg, you will find that Google did not even have time to make new animations.
(Source: Google)
However, the Android 15 developer preview version still brings some new features, such as a new background preview interface, privacy space, automatic volume reduction notification, etc. It is a pity for that these changes are too "hidden" and difficult for even pixel fans to detect.
Once upon a time, the native Android system was sought after by a large number of fans because it was pure, elegant, and full of fun. Nowadays, customized UIs represented by Oppo Coloros and Vivo Originos are running wild on the big theme of AI. Operating systems such as Huawei Harmonyos and Xiaomi Surging OS are developing multi-terminal interconnected smart ecosystems. Google seems to have fallen far behind. Without
ai, what are the highlights of Android 15?
native Android has always had two shortcomings. One is that the UI design is too simple, and the other is that the functions are too sparse.
Starting from Android 13, Google has prepared a customized system called "materialyou" for users. The main feature is that the system UI will match the color according to the set wallpaper, making it more visually harmonious. Although this does not change the style of the native Android rough room, it is much better than before.
In this updated Android 15 developer preview version, Google has optimized the "materialyou" of the lock screen interface, especially for folding screen phones. Even in the 4:3 ratio, the theme color, clock position and notification messages are all With a more harmonious ratio.
Another exciting news is that Google has finally adapted to folding screen phones and provided a new application background design. should not be mentioned, Xiaolei believes that Oppo’s Coloros does a better job in the multi-tasking UI interface of folding screen mobile phones.
(Source: googlenews)
The Android 15 developer preview version also has some "hard-core" new features. For example, it has added a new privacy space and screen recording restrictions. For example, Google finally allows third-party applications to access Mobile phone camera API to improve photo clarity.
In addition to the above "make-up work" optimizations, Android 15 also released some new ideas about the future mobile operating system - android dynamic performance framework (adpf for short).
(Source: googlenews)
adpf is a set of APIs whose main purpose is to reasonably allocate resources for different CPU, GPU and cooling architectures. For example, "Genshin Impact" runs on a Snapdragon 8 gen 3 mobile platform model How much memory resources it needs to occupy, how much CPU and GPU performance it needs, and whether the real-time temperature of the phone will cause greater energy consumption all rely on adpf to judge and intervene. Of course, most customized UIs now have corresponding adjustment strategies. Unless adpf's strategy is better, the possibility that manufacturers will choose it is not very high.
Android 15 also has an interesting new feature: calm notifications, which can proactively determine consecutive notifications sent from the same application within a short period of time and gradually reduce the volume to reduce user noise distress. To put it simply, when you are "bombarded" by WeChat messages, you will no longer be tortured repeatedly by loud notification sounds.
(Source: googlenews)
Generally speaking, the first developer preview version of Android 15 is quite disappointing. Not only is the popular "ai" function absent, but even the changes in UI are very few. New The added functions also have similar solutions on most customized UIs. Is Google reluctant to "enlarge the strategy", or is there really nothing left to do?
is "not easy to use" and has become the original sin of native Android
Last year, in order to experience a truly pure native Android, Xiaolei spent a "huge sum" to purchase a Google Pixel 6. This mobile phone was the first Equipped with pixels of tensor chips, the experience should not be too bad.
However, after experiencing it, even the combination of native Android + Pixel has no advantages at all: the animation is stiff, the background management mechanism is confusing, and the game performance scheduling is extremely poor. To be honest, for the current mobile phone market, an unusable operating system is basically a felony for a brand.
Since 2020, customized UI has begun to enter another level. Coloros 11, originos, miui 12, these systems have taken turns, completely changing consumers' views on them.
(Source: oppo)
For example, Coloros 11 brings Quantum Animation Engine 2.0, allowing Android phones to have silky interruption animations like iPhone; Originos handed over the "Transformation Table" and "Controller" ” and other components with high enough customization space, even atomic notifications are a cross-generation design. and Android 11 at that time were still paying attention to hoverable chat bubbles, and the gap between the two camps gradually widened.
(Source: Google) The
pixel series of mobile phones shipped only 37.9 million units between 2016 and 2023. This performance is not even as good as Samsung’s A series of shipments in a year, let alone competing with Apple’s iPhones. After all, native Android is no longer as good as customized UI in many places. The lack of functions and backward aesthetics make Pixel unable to gain much leverage in the fiercely competitive mobile phone market.
The most dissatisfying thing is that Google has been continuously showing off its progress in the field of AI since last year, and even provided a large number of AI-related services and functions for the Samsung S24 series. Why not provide it on Android 15?
Android doesn’t use large models, why is Google hesitating? The first developer preview version of
android 15 only supports pixel 6 and newer model updates, which means that Google is trying to collect the compatibility of all devices equipped with tensor chips for the new version of the system. This is a good signal, which means that Android 15 is not without AI, but will come later.
Dave Burke, vice president of engineering projects at Google, revealed in a recent article that Android 15 will add AI-related features in subsequent versions. According to the testing process of previous Android versions, Google will release a relatively complete preview version at least in April of that year, and bug fixes will follow. This means that we will witness the new AI functions of Android 15 in two months. Come on stage.
(Source: googlenews)
As for why Google did not add AI-related features in the first version, I personally guess there are two reasons:
First, Android 15 is currently releasing a test version for developers, and the updated Most of the features are projects that require developers to follow up. For example, the adpf mentioned above is a very important update for game developers. The AI functions provided by Google for Android do not involve the opening of the API, that is, there is no need for developers to participate, and naturally there is no need to release it in early versions.
Second, Google has not had time to improve related functions. If you pay attention to Google's trends in the AI field, it is not difficult to find that it is suppressed by its strong rival OpenAI at every stage. Even gemini pro, which was launched with confidence earlier, lost to gpt-3.5 in testing. It can be said that Google does not have much energy to focus on optimizing the AI functions on mobile phones. Instead of disclosing immature projects in advance, it is better to wait until they are improved before releasing them.
(Source: google)
In any case, Google, as one of the world's top technology companies and the father of Android, its attitude towards AI can have a great impact on the industry, and the first preview version of Android 15 There is no mention of any artificial intelligence or large models, which is indeed disappointing. But Google has already shown the world its efforts in the "AI phone" part at the launch of the Pixel 8 series, which is at least faster than Apple's progress.
