Material You updates the look of Google’s mobile OS, but Android 12 adds several more intriguing capabilities.
At its virtual I/O 2021 developer conference today, Google outlined initiatives in search, quantum computing, security, scary AI chat bots, and more. And while today’s keynote did not include any hardware announcements, we did see some cool new stuff in Android 12, which is now available as a public beta. The splashiest news for the mobile OS is Material You, which replaces Material Design and gives the Android interface a bubbly redesign and new color options. But there’s plenty more, including new privacy options, ecosystem capabilities, and better performance and battery life. You can download the new version by enrolling your eligible phone (the Pixel along with several other manufacturers are fair game, including Asus, OnePlus, Oppo, Sharp, and ZTE), but note that this is beta software and best for tech-savvy Android users. Material You Yes, this evolved version of Material Design allows more personal and customizable color palettes, but it also rethinks the shapes of interface elements and adds informative animations. Google’s announcements about the new design language emphasize that it’s as much about emotion as it is about design principles.
