Google recently revealed its latest developer preview of the new Android M operating system, which is the company’s next mobile OS and it is expected to launch somewhere in the third 2015 quarter.
The new OS is referred to as Macademia Nut Cookie, but it’s uncertain whether Google will change the name or not at the time. The company claims that this is the most powerful release and the update will bring numerous improvements. However, most of these improvements are incremental so most users won’t really see them at all.
The Android M operating system will feature support for the USB-C connector which the company claims it is able to charge devices up to five times faster. And like the Lightning connector used by Apple, the USB-C can be plugged on both sides, so people won’t have to check which side is which.
The new operating system will also feature some new permissions that will make things a lot easier for people to decide what information can be used by apps, by giving them the option to restrict the data used. For instance, if you download WhatsApp on your Android device right now, you have to grant the app permission to access your microphone, camera, photos, location, calendar, contacts and many more. But with the new Android M, people won’t be asked to give permissions when downloading the app. Users will have to grant access only when trying to send a memo, for instance, case in which they will be asked to give permission to access the microphone on their device.
People will also be able to revoke any permission through the help of a special segment in the settings section of the operating system. Other Android M improvements will be incremental but will help the users have a better experience with their device altogether. There will be a new feature named Android Auto Backup and Restore which will be used together with Google Drive in order to backup settings files and data automatically to the cloud.
The Android M developer preview is already available to download for the Google Nexus 6 and the Google Nexus 5, as well as the Nexus Player and Nexus 9 tablet. The official release date to the public is set to come in the third 2015 quarter but there is no information more specific than this at the current time. However, a lot of people are anticipating a September release.
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