Google’s mobile operating system has gone from zero to hero in the last decade or so. What was once called a copy of iOS has today become pretty much the only OS you see on every handset that’s not built by Apple – today, Android has a market share of more than 80% globally, and no competitors to speak of. This year, the operating system reaches a landmark – its 10th full version will be released (it’s already available for beta testers globally). Let’s see some of the coolest and most exciting features it will come with.
“Dark mode”
Unlike traditional LCD screens, OLED panels don’t use power when showing “true black” pixels – this makes them not only lighter but also more power-efficient. That, of course, if “true black” is indeed shown on the screen. Many apps and websites have implemented such themes, ranging from Messenger and YouTube to the Betway online casino, among others, but a systemwide dark theme was missing from Android – even though the users have demanded it for years. With Android 10, this will become a reality.
The “Dark theme” will become a feature in Google’s upcoming mobile OS that can be turned on easily from the Display menu. On the phones with OLED displays, this will contribute a lot to power saving – on those with LCD screens, in turn, it will definitely look better.
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Faster updates of some software components
One of the biggest problems of the Android ecosystem today is that it’s incredibly fragmented. According to Google’s own distribution dashboard, just about 10% of all active smartphones run Android 9, with Android 8 (Oreo) running on the largest percentage of phones (a little over 28%), followed by Android 7 (under 20%). Around 10% of all active devices are still running Android 2.3 to 4.4, though. To reduce this fragmentation – at least when it comes to certain software components – Google will switch to a new way of updating them through the Play Store. Some components will be delivered as APK or APEX files (APEX is a new file format that loads during the early booting process) so it will be able to push updates to critical components without them having to go through the filters of OEMs (manufacturers).
App timers
How many times have you lost yourself to browsing updates on Facebook or Instagram and neglected more important tasks? This will be a thing of the past with Android 10’s new “App timers”. The new Android will allow you to set a time limit to your usage of any app for each day – say, you can set it to only allow you to use Instagram for 30 minutes each day – and then block it once the time is up. Of course, the timers reset at midnight each day. So, say good-bye to procrastination on your phone (even though this won’t stop you from wasting your time on a computer).