Android 12 Beta Published With Performance Enhancements, Overhauled UI

[ssokolow]

A new UI for Android that has been described as "the most significant UI update to Android yet" using a new design language called Material You.

Whenever I see stuff like this, I wonder how much better the world might be if interface designers were required to document (and make available to end users) a thorough rationale for why the change is objectively more effective at being a user interface than what they're replacing. (ideally backed up by user studies)

(Stuff like how Firefox 4 defended the "Tabs on Top" decision by appealing to the argument that it put things "scoped to the current document", like the contents of the address bar "within the tab page", thus making the underlying mental model behind the layout more consistent.)

[waxhead]

I am laughing at this "We also added dynamic color APIs so your widgets can use system colors to create a personalized but consistent look."
Well what does this mean? does it mean that stuff like darkmode which really is just a theme now can be applied at the system setting level and not per. application? I have voiced my disgust for GUI's always implementing their own widgets, themes etc when it is all a complete waste. A GUI should be made according to a standard and all meny styles, buttons, highlights, backgrounds and other eyecandy should be set in system preferences (and there is nothing preventing you from having a list of applications that could be configured separately if needed).
It looks like finally someone got a wake-up call from the past...

[johanb]

The UI changes from Android 10 to 11 was a downgrade in my opinion, I hope that they learn from their mistakes this time around. The rest sounds like small but nice improvements.

My Linux phone (Librem 5) is not ready to replace it and it'll probably be a few years until that's possible, it's just a fun toy to hack around with for now.

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Android 12 Beta Published With Performance Enhancements, Overhauled UI

Google used their Google I/O conference today to introduce the first beta of the upcoming Android 12 mobile operating system...

https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Android-12-Beta-Published