Google Announces Android M: OS Refinement & Many Changes On Tap

At its ongoing I/O conference, Google took the veil off of the next version of Android, called M. The company’s focus with this release isn’t so much about being revolutionary as it is about refinement. Lollipop involved an overhaul on the OS, so edges will be smoothed out with M. That doesn’t mean that new features are not being rolled out, though.

It might sound simple, but I think the most important update with M is a revamp of the permissions system. In M, it will behave more like it does on iOS, allowing users to toggle on or off various permissions an app is requesting. This mechanic will help those who don’t like the idea of third-parties getting a bit too much of their information to lock things down tight. By default, it seems apps won’t have full-fledged access from the get-go; instead, the user will be prompted to allow or disallow access to something as the app actually tries to take advantage of that permission.

For developers, a major improvement is coming with app links. Google today announced that its Goo.gl URL shortener service can now link directly to specific pages within an app, and these M-related updates will enable developers to take much better advantage of that.

For all users, major battery-life improvements can be looked forward to. If an M-based device is left alone for a while, the phone will kick into a mode called Doze that will quiet background processes down. This might result in some staleness, as once you return to the phone, the background services will kick back into full gear, but that’s a small price to pay for extended battery-life.

In addition to this, some major strides will be taken with regards to mobile payments in Android M as well. Right now, we know very little about all of the features that M will bring to the table; right now, what we’re being told is heavily developer-focused. I am sure we will learn a lot more about the consumer features through the summer.