In a sunny bank next to an Android statue on Google HQ, Sameer Samat, president of the Android ecosystem, his phone stole. And it was the first time that Samat saw that his pixel phone bit himself. In fact, the day I visited, Samat had called four times separately by a man running. Everything was part of a demonstration to show the expanded robbery detection block of Android 16: As soon as Samat’s phone was grabbed, it was blocked and showed a message on the blocking screen that said: “Robbery detection, automatically blocked device.”
The detection of robberies, introduced with Android 15, is one of several new and expanded features in Android 16 that focus on security. The new operating system has three main pillars: a significant onion review called Material 3, support for Gemini in more security and safety devices and tools. Cnet sat for an interview with Samat, and his genuine enthusiasm for Android 16 and what it means to the client shine.
“Android 16 is one of our greatest releases in history,” Samat said. “What is really great of launch is that it plays so many things that people are excited.”
Look at this: Preview: We obtained early access to the new functions of Android 16
Android is the largest operating system in the world, which is executed in more than 3 billion active devices. Android 16 marks a significant milestone for Google, which shows that the operating system of almost 17 years of the technological giant is as important now as in 2008 when it debuted. In particular, as all eyes look at Google’s tools and services to be the next big thing, Android 16 shows that the gap between the proven and thunder characteristics that people have come on their phone and the promises of AI can close. And Samat is clear that he does not expect AI to replace Android or applications, but to make them more powerful and useful.
“Applications will still be important, but perhaps in different ways,” he said. “There are some mundane things that we do in applications today with which an AI could help him. For example, he could because to call a car, or rearrange his favorite food of a particular restaurant. He still wants to make transactions with that business, but doing so to do three do not do it all the three do not.
Android 16 Material 3 Expressive
Live updates and a new brilliant form to quickly see notifications are part of the expressive redesign of Android 16s Material 3.
The first thing that most people will notice is that Android 16 looks different from the previous versions. Everything, from the lock screen and the home screen to the fast control panel and the notification shadow have been reviewed with a new design that Google calls the expressive material 3. This is not a radical deviation from the past, but the addition of a series of elegant and dynamic animations that are both charming and eccentric.
Android 16 is full of nuanced animations such as volume control.
For example, if it raises the volume to its maximum, it feels a haptic and the volume control on the screen moves real higher than its normal place, with its finger, to show that it can no longer increase it. You can also easily change mosaics in the fast control panel from 1×1 to 2×1 simply pressing and holding control and dragging the side mango bar to the left or to the right. In fact, when it takes advantage of control, the mosaic icon moves subtly as a reaction.
“When we think about how to design tesos, there are, or a course, a utility for everything,” Samat said. “For us, it is not just functions, but it is also how it makes you feel. And all these touches around beauty and aesthetics, they are not always consciously significant for people. We are going to look.”
Android 16 refinements only include something as mundane as sliding a notification.
Perhaps a good example of what Samat describes is the new dynamic animation to slide a notification. Rohan Shah, Google Senior Product Manager for the Android platform, demonstrated this to me. While sliding a notification, it is almost as if it were sticky and I would not like to leave the shadow of notification.
“When, for example, you slide a notification, that users do 40 times a day, there is this real subtle movement in which notifications around them simply give a little resistance,” Shah said.
Here is the new animation that happens when you discard a notification.
Samat said to try a notification and slide to the right has never been more satisfactory. That action in spring is part of the mechanics of movement of fluids of expressive material 3, which provides the elements that enter and let the screen be a more natural adhesion to the physics it would expect.
Material 3 Expressive also makes Android more dazzling from the lock screen, the home screen and its applications. For example, on the blocking screen, the notifications you have read are hidden in a pill -shaped box that shows the icon of each application. This works in conjunction with the wallpaper of your phone and the new live updates that can be used to follow Google Maps directives directly from the lock screen.
Android 16 brings Gemini to more devices
Android 16 adds Gemini’s integration to more devices.
As conspicuous as expressive material 3, Gemini also plays an important role in Android 16 and is now the default digital assistant. Samat explained that the option of replacing Google assistant with Gemini is about making interactions feel more intuitive.
“In the past, where the attendees perhaps taught us how to talk to them, you had to say things in a particular way. Now, with the advances in AI, you can speak naturally and with” UM “and” AHS, “Samat said.
And is not limited to phones. Gemini will be in cars, watches, Android XR headphones and even its television. For Wear OS devices, Gemini works exclusively through the cloud, and will need an Internet connection (Wi-Fi, Phone or LTE) to use it.
I could see the product manager of the Google group for Google TV, Sal Choudhary, Gemini test on a TV. A demonstration began simply causing Gemini to show us the weather. Then, he asked him to show us an impossible mission: Dead Reckoning Part 1, and Gemini took the film page. But things got interesting when Choudhary asked Gemini: “What impossible mission is the best?”
Gemini replied: “That is a fun debate. Many fans consider that the impossible mission: Fallout to be a prominent for their incredible action sequences and convincing history. Others could argue the original mission impossible for their suspense and their class espénic sensation.
Wear will admit Gemini, Google announced.
Obviously, Gemini’s integration into so many devices opens the one used in Android XR headphones even more similar to the factors, as well as glaminis glasses, which Samat joked. He points out that Gemini can not only understand what you say and what is on your screen, but you can also use cameras to give you more information about the world around you. The glasses sacrifice you the ability to see a screen that no one else can see, and the frames with a built camera let Gemini see the world like you. I imagine that we could hear more about glasses and how Gemini fits on Android XR in the presentation of Google I/O Keynote on May 20.
Having Gemini in more places is as good as the information you provide. If Gemini responses are inaccurate or simply incorrect, that can unravel a novel use, such as glasses. It is true that Samat recognizes this pain point with AI.
“IA certainly has cases in which you don’t have the right things,” he said. “I think the important thing here is [for the user] To understand the context. So, using AI as part of Google Search, that will be a really important area where objective information is critical, and the search team works very hard to make sure it does it well. In Other Instances, Like where we talked about Identifying an image and describing it, The Ai Can Do It Is Best, and It Can Ultimate Be Tuned To do Quay A Good Job, and Also Give at Disclaimer to the consumer Check This, Check This, Check This, Check This, Check ThisCck ThisCck ThisCck This, Like Before You Buy It. “
Samat also shared that Google discovered that people would prefer to have access to this type of AI and that there are cases in which they may need to understand that there are limits.
Detection of Android 16 scams
Android 16 scam detection function can prevent personal information with a stranger when you are sending messages.
One of the new most shocking features in Android 16 is the detection of scams, which can alert it to a possible scam when using the Google messages. Scam detection uses a model in the device specifically tuned to understand when a private message or thread can lead to reveal personal information. And it works when you have a conversation with someone who is not in your contacts.
“We have really tasks a model of AI on the device and we have helped it with many different scenarios for what can go wrong and what can go wrong here, “Samat said.” We have tried it against millions and millions of scams of the different. “
Android users will also help keep the detection of scams. Every time a person informs a scam, Google can this information to evolve the function over time.
Android 16 final thoughts
A look behind my Android 16 interview with Sameer Samat from Google.
It was a insightful moment talking to Samat. The way he sees the future of Android and Gemini really infuses me with the hope that all this can lead to a better world. Android 16 genuinely feels as one of the most important releases in the years. And we just touched some first level features. There are many more tools, profits and updates for Android 16, for a deeper aspect, see Android 16 of CNET.
Android 16 will be released publicly in June, and Wear is scheduled to leave at the end of this summer. I hope to try both and see people’s reactions to new tools and characteristics.
