Android 10 Launches Today, and Pixel Phones Get the Day One Update (arstechnica.com) 45
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Android 10 is finally finished! The next big Android update, which we've been examining for most of the year as the "Android Q Beta," starts rolling out to devices today. As usual, Android 10 is arriving on Pixel phones first (even the three-year-old Pixel 1), and Google says it is "working with a number of partners to launch or upgrade devices to Android 10 this year." Google has introduced a new branding strategy for Android, by the way, so there's no "Q" snack name with this release. In 2019, it's just "Android 10." Android 10 brings a number of changes to the world's most popular mobile operating system.
First up, devices are getting "fully gestural" navigation, which lets you navigate around the phone with swipe gestures. Just like the implementation on the iPhone X, gesture navigation removed the need for a dedicated space for navigation buttons, allowing for more space for app content. There's finally full support for a dark theme, which will turn the entire system UI and any supported apps from the usual black text on a white background to white text on a black background. (That option significantly reduces the amount of light a phone puts out and saves battery life on OLED displays.) Google has also promised dark mode support for "all" of the Google apps in time for Android 10's launch, so we should be seeing updates to Gmail, Google Play, Google Maps, and a million other Google apps sometime soon. Other features of Android 10 include a faster share sheet, a "bubbles" API for floating apps, 230 new emoji, improved security and privacy options, and smarter notification panel.
First up, devices are getting "fully gestural" navigation, which lets you navigate around the phone with swipe gestures. Just like the implementation on the iPhone X, gesture navigation removed the need for a dedicated space for navigation buttons, allowing for more space for app content. There's finally full support for a dark theme, which will turn the entire system UI and any supported apps from the usual black text on a white background to white text on a black background. (That option significantly reduces the amount of light a phone puts out and saves battery life on OLED displays.) Google has also promised dark mode support for "all" of the Google apps in time for Android 10's launch, so we should be seeing updates to Gmail, Google Play, Google Maps, and a million other Google apps sometime soon. Other features of Android 10 include a faster share sheet, a "bubbles" API for floating apps, 230 new emoji, improved security and privacy options, and smarter notification panel.
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They removed a lot of UI dedicated to doing stuff. Now you have to "gesture" at your phone like a gorilla pawing at its own genitals.
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Omg I now have to hold the phone with my crotch?
When will the madness end?!?!?11
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The great thing about Android is that they didn't remove anything. It's all still there if you want it. Support for on screen buttons or hardware buttons, your choice.
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Pie also removed access to settings from the drawer, and completely botched the volume settings, don't forget! Oh also this big google search bar taking 4 icons space that you cannot remove.
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Pie also removed access to settings from the drawer
Not sure what you mean by "drawer", but Pie still has the settings icon in the quick settings pulldown. Swipe down from the top of the screen, then hit the gear icon in the lower right corner.
completely botched the volume settings
How so?
Oh also this big google search bar taking 4 icons space that you cannot remove.
You can remove it. Just install a different launcher; there are many to choose from.
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Serious question - is there a way to just remove it? I don't want it, or to install something else to take its place. I'd just like it to be gone - I've never used it on purpose.
This would be for Android O since my phone will never update beyond that.
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It's part of the Google Now launcher [google.com], and the launcher has no option to disable it. You can install a new launcher that doesn't have it. The 3rd party launchers offer a lot of features and configurability you may like -- or there are plain, simple ones.
Here's a list [fossbytes.com] of some popular options.
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What did Google remove this time?
The "bubbles" API is a big step towards tightly restricting use of the accessibility API. The accessibility API won't be removed, but the goal is to restrict its use to apps that are for accessibility -- providing ways for users with various disabilities to interact with the system. The API has been abused in benign ways to build floating interfaces, but also in malicious ways to spy on users and clickjack.
By definition. (Score:2)
Google's current phones always get the update the day it's released, because that is the definition of an Android release.
Far more noteworthy is that the Essential Phone gets it on day one (just like with Android 9) and the Redmi K20 Pro gets it on day one, and the OnePlus 7/7Pro get an Android10-based OxygenOS beta on day one. (Other phones may get it today too, these are just the ones currently with articles currently about it on XDA.)
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Well, OnePlus always cultivated the developer community, with easily unlocked bootloader and seems now with frequent OS updates. Not a bad alternative to a Pixel, though the current OnePlus phone prices are a far cry from the original Oneplus One with a 300 dollar bait-n-switch price tag for 16GB model.
Fitts' Law has fallen from favor (Score:3)
Why would I want to swipe? By definition, it requires more effort than a tap. It's a tap, followed by a motion!
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Because stretching your fingers to navigate a 5"+ phone can be extremely painful to most people, especially sysadmins.
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Because it's easier than reaching for the controls.
Particularly on large phones you might have to reach for a button. Easier to do a little swipe without stretching.
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By definition, it requires more effort than a tap.
Where do you tap? By definition you need something to tap to analyse what to do with said tap, and that results in either used screen real estate, or multiple taps.
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No, it's the opposite.
The reason Fitt values the edges and corners is because they require less motor precision to access.
Taps require precision - swipes are more "move thataway" and so require less precision. No swipe I've seen requires a precise starting position.
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I posted this, and then sat down with my phone, screen off, to poke at it and count movements. Came to the same conclusion, wasn't really thinking about it as clearly as I might have been.
I stand corrected.
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And just a week before iPhone 2019 (Score:2)
Competition is a good thing. (I'll take a duopoly over a monopoly.)
Secondary Display ? (Score:2)
does it still do a Secondary Display ?
the ability to have a secure view with a keyboard and mouse would in my opinion be a game changer !
Does it do DHCPv6-PD yet for tethering? (Score:2)
Didn't remove it though... (Score:3)
Just like the implementation on the iPhone X, gesture navigation removed the need for a dedicated space for navigation buttons
That part of the summary really confused me - the X didn't do anything about navigation, beyond removing the home button. There's still very much a need for navigation buttons even though iOS does also support swipe gestures to move back in navigation (a feature supported before the iPhone X)... I assume the same would be true for Android, where you'd want some visible way to know how to go back but as a shortcut (like if the phone is in one had) you could just use the swipe gesture.
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Just like the implementation on the iPhone X, gesture navigation removed the need for a dedicated space for navigation buttons
That part of the summary really confused me - the X didn't do anything about navigation, beyond removing the home button.
That's what they're talking about, that was a huge chunk of realestate on the front of the phone that no longer needed to be dedicated to that navigation button.
Kinda large. (Score:2)
1,337.1 MB download. Letting it run overnight.
Nearly all other Android phones (Score:2)
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will never get it.
Good. The phone seems to have a hard enough time figuring out what I want it to do as it is.
I don't want it doing shit I don't want just because I moved a finger the wrong way.
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I have a Android ONE phone and the update will come for sure, as well as every security updates each and every months, choose your phone and don't buy a Samsung.
How do I go back to 9? (Score:2)
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If you want the real Android experience, don't use 3rd party launcher? Since Pie to switch app you can right swipe the navigation to toggle between the last two, or swipe up to bring selectable last apps
Thanking You (Score:1)
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volume settings? (Score:2)
Did they fix the horrible volume settings? In Pie (Android 9) when you press the up/down volume, it changes the media volume, not the ringtone/notification volume, 100% of people around me hates this thing, Did they fixed it somehow?
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It seems you don't hate this feature?
Getting it right now (Score:2)
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They finally give us the most anticipated feature. (Score:1)
230 new emojis....Yay!!
Really Google?
We give you best designs.please provide your floor (Score:1)