The next Android OS is here. Google has officially released Android 10 for all Pixel smartphones in its stable version. OnePlus too, rolled Android 10 in Beta mode for the OnePlus 7 series, it said on Wednesday.
Google released its next version of its mobile operating system Android and while you would have expected it to be called the Android Q, the company has chosen to call it the Android 10. It is understood that going forward, the numeral integer will only be used and no letter or dessert name.
The other aspect is the release date. Google would have released the stable version by August each year. This year it has spilled over to September. While the different Android phone manufacturers will now start issuing the software updates to their models over the next few weeks,
Here are the highlights of what you can expect to change in your phone as and when it gets the Android 10 update.
The Dark Theme is now well and truly part of the overall Android ecosystem. The feature is meant to darken the phone’s theme mainly to stretch the battery life. This was being implemented in stages with many apps still to make the necessary changes. With the new version this will change, and the user will have to option to choose which apps will go with the dark theme.
‘Project Mainline’ is an important addition to the Android 10 version. Google has taken over the right to send you security updates directly to your phones instead of your having to wait till the manufacturer or service provider decides to send it.
Focus Mode is another new feature. This permits the mobile user to keep away apps that he or she finds distracting and keep them silent as long as they desire.
Giving some importance to the privacy aspect, Google has transferred some of the controls on location to the device users. You can now choose if an app is allowed to track your location. There are three choices, always, never or when the app is in use.
Google has followed Apple in providing gesture-based navigation feature with its introduction in Android 10. Now using simple gestures, you can go backwards and forwards, switch between apps or just reach the Home screen.
Live Captions is yet another feature in Android 10. You get automatic captions to videos, audio messages and podcasts in any app.
Not all these features are being made available straightaway. Some may take a little longer to be rolled out. If you own an Android phone, you will have to wait till the manufacturer comes out with the adopted version. Google has made sure the manufacturers have the OS with them for sufficient time now and can release their upgrades on eligible models much sooner than in previous years.