Android 12: What is new in Google's upcoming smartphone operating system

Android 12 has been announced, and these are the biggest new features -- from a new Material You design language and a new Privacy Dashboard

Google on Tuesday unveiled its next iteration of operating system for smartphones named the Android 12. Now available for early developers to test, the Android 12 Beta 1 brings ton of new upgrades, including a new visual design language called 'Material You'. Besides, the Android 12 features new animations, fluid design, more privacy options and better apps access. Google says, "Android 12 is more expressive, dynamic and personal than ever before." Here is what is new in the Android 12:

Personalisation

Google is unifying software and hardware ecosystems under a single design language called 'Material You'. Android 12 allows you to completely personalise your phone with a custom colour palette and redesigned widgets. The OS also dynamically determines which colours are dominant, which ones are complementary and which ones just look great. It then applies those colours across the entire OS: the notification shade, the lock screen, the volume controls, new widgets and much more.

Privacy features

Google has added a new Privacy Dashboard, which informs you about which apps are accessing your data and gives you control to decide how much private information your apps can access. You can also check which apps has access to phone’s microphone or camera. You can also block camera or microphone access for apps.

With new approximate location permissions, apps can be limited to seeing just your approximate location instead of a precise one. For example, weather apps do not need your precise location to offer an accurate forecast. 

Fluid motion and animations

With Android 12, Google is aiming to improve the user experience by bringing fluid motion and animation effects. Google says, the OS will make your phone quickly respond to your touch with smooth motion and animations. For example, when you dismiss your notifications on the lock screen, your clock will appear larger, so you know when you are all caught up.

To make the interface more dynamic and responsive, Google has able to improve CPU usage by 22 per cent and reducing the use of big cores by the system server by up to 15 per cent. This should result in improving the overall performance and battery life of a device.

Redesigned system spaces

The latest Android update brings changes in the notification tray, too. It is, as Google likes to call it "more intuitive and playful, with a crisp, at-a-glance view of your app notifications." 

Quick Settings now let you control practically the entire operating system with a swipe and a tap. It’s been rebuilt to include Google Pay and Home Controls, while still allowing for customization.

New notification tray

The notification tray in Android 12 is a bit different. When you pull down the notification tray, you will notice rounded corners at the top of the panel. Not only the Quick Settings icons are larger, but they are more colourful. Obviously, the increase in the size means you can see fewer tiles at once. This may be a small change, but it shows Google’s consistent effort to bring a sense of freshness to the user interface.

Google Assistant

The latest Android update also changes the way you call Google Assistant. A long press of the power button can be used to use the Google Assistant to make a phone call, open apps, ask questions or read aloud text-heavy articles.

New Lockscreen layout and updated clock

Lockscreen will have a different appearance with the new Android update with date, weather, notifications in the upper-left corner.