Google is all prepped up for commencing its I/O 2015 developer conference later this month, and the search engine giant will use the stage to take the wraps off Android M, the successor to Lollipop – its mobile OS.
The news however is not really official, and can be attributed to a leak of information coming in as part of the conference’s session description and schedule, where it specifically mentions “Android M.” However, given how viral that information must have gotten in a few minutes, Google has since removed that session detail from the I/O website.
Another session that has caught the attention of the blogosphere is “interruptions”. This may well be a more refined or sophisticated approach to the notification system that Android Lollipop brought in, but perhaps the most exciting session to be found, is “Voice Access.”
Voice Access could be Google’s attempt at expanding the OK Google commands throughout the operating system, including g supported apps as well. With this feature, users should be able to control almost every part of their Android device, and apps as well. Describing the Voice Access session, Google says, “In this talk, we introduce Voice Access, a service that gives anyone access to their Android device through voice alone. We will focus on simple steps developers can follow to ensure that Voice Access provides an optimal experience within their apps.”
For now, the I/O session descriptions don’t have a lot to offer on what to expect from Android M, but Google explains that this new in-the-works Android version “brings power of Android to all kinds of workplaces.” While Android 5.0 was Google’s move at bringing a universal OS to phones, tablets, in-car entertainment units, etc., the mention of “workplaces” could mean that the Mountain View based company is finally looking to make a move into deeper enterprise solutions as well.
We have no clue what the ‘M’ in Android M would stand for in the long run – “M&Ms” perhaps? When Google unveiled Android L at last years I/O conference, the company only revealed the name months later.
It also remains unclear what version number Google would be assigning to Android M, but if the changes are major enough with a slightly revamped UI as well, it may just go with Android 6.0. The I/O developers conference is set to kick off on the 28th of May, so we’ll know what Google has planned, soon enough.
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