- [Mr. Mobile] The newest version of Android is here,
and if your phone doesn't have an apple on the back,
it's bringing big changes to the way you use it.
From Google I/O in Mountain View, California,
I'm Mr. Mobile.
Let's go hands-on with Androiod P.
(fun techno music)
If you've been following along
on the Mr. Mobile Instagram channel,
you'll know I've been taking photos
around the Google Campus this week
with an all new Pixel 2.
Well, I've just thanked it for its good service
by lobotomizing it, and loading it with the Beta version
of Android P, that's the sequel to Andriod Oreo
due later this year.
And it's still so young,
it doesn't even have a dessert name yet.
Personally, I'm holding out for Pepperidge Farm,
but I think Michael Josh probably has me beat
with his bet here.
Anyway, the point is, this is not yet ready for primetime,
but it is ready to show off a new interface.
If you wanna do this with your own smartphone,
I'll link you to the options at the end of this video.
The reason Android P has me so jazzed is this,
it's the first time the platform
has fully embraced gestures.
See, every current Android phone relies
on buttons you tap.
You tap to go home, you tap to multitask.
It's a proven interface, it's one we're used to,
but it's also one that can't help seeming crude
once you've tried something like the iPhone 10,
or the older Blackberry and Palm phones
that that phone is based on.
When it's done well, it's almost like dancing
with the software instead of poking at it.
I know, nerd alert, but it's true,
these little details are super important.
Now, a little tip here from my friends over
at Android Central here, when you finish the update,
this is not enabled by default.
You need to drop in to settings to turn it on.
Once you do, your buttons drop from three to two,
home and sometimes back.
Instead of tapping a square to pull
up the multitasking ribbon, now that happens with a swipe.
Your recent apps line up horizontally,
you can scroll through them and close them
by flicking 'em off the screen,
it's all very familiar stuff.
But there is something new and clever.
The home bar is also now a slider,
so you can browse your recent apps
without having to extend your thumb so far.
Bonus feature, you'll be able to copy and paste text
between apps in the ribbon, eventually,
as you can see it doesn't work at all
on my device right now.
So there's potential for even deeper interactions
in these minimized states.
Maybe in some distant future version of Android,
these will even replace or augment widgets.
Now, one of my favorite features of the current build
of Android is the quick double tap to cycle
between your two most recent apps.
And that's been preserved in P,
you just give the home bar a quick pull to the right
and then release, like a spring-loaded switch.
You even get a nice little haptic buzz when you do it.
And if you're wondering how to get to your app drawer,
now that the swipe-up is the home gesture,
well it's just a slightly longer extension of your thumb.
It takes some getting used to, but so does everything.
Elsewhere, there are the usual re-thinkings,
cosmetic details like the way the alerts pop up
on the Always On display,
the location of the clock is different,
there's more color overall,
and gentler, rounded corners,
quick replies directly from notifications,
which are only these three for now,
and also the volume controls
have been completely re-thought,
they're now friendlier to one-handed users,
well, right-handed users anyway.
And also, whereas before the rocker adjusted ring volume
by default, now it always controls media volume.
You use the button on top to control Do Not Disturb mode,
or the settings cog below to jump in
to more granular sound settings.
That's just scratching the surface though.
There's a lot going on under the hood,
like battery optimizations we get every year,
and the new adapted brightness
that learns your preferences over time.
Again, generally I don't get too worked up
over Android version updates,
but I think that's because it's been so long
since we've had an Android version
that genuinely changes the way you use your phone,
and does it, in my opinion, for the better.
I've been waiting for a platform as fluid as webOS
since Palm died in 2011.
And while it's too early to say yet
whether Android P is that platform,
well it's nice that it's no longer just Apple
trying to recreate it.
To try this on your phone,
visit the Android Central link in the description below,
and there's a how-to there with a step-by-step guide.
And, stay tuned for much more from Google I/O 2018
on my Instagram feed @themrmobile.
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and tell 'em Mr. Mobile sent ya.
You folks who stick around to the end are still the best
and you get the explanation for my weird sounding voice.
Yup, I'm still on the road, still in California,
still at Google I/O, so I'm still using my road-mic.
That's a Zoom H2n, not gettin' paid to talk about it,
just tellin' you what it is,
'cause it's a pretty cool mic.
Also, I'm talkin' into a pile of pillows on a hotel bed
while kneeling on the floor.
Don't ever tell me this career is not glamorous.
Love every minute of it though.
Until next time, thanks for watching,
and stay mobile, my friends.