• Latest
  • All
  • How To
Next version of Android is codenamed M, already available for preview

Next version of Android is codenamed M, already available for preview

May 29, 2015
kenya-parliament

Parliament Invites Public Feedback on Virtual Asset Bill 2025

May 30, 2025
ConnectedAfrica2025(Day4)-meta-foondamate

Connected Africa 2025 Day 4: FoondaMate and Meta Team Up to Bring AI to Classrooms

May 29, 2025
google-veo-3

Actors and Film Crews Are Worried About Veo 3 Taking Their Jobs

May 29, 2025
iOS 26

Apple Plans Big Rename for iOS and macOS at WWDC 2025

May 29, 2025
DHgate Tablet Cases deals
University student fined for defamatory Facebook posts

University Student Fined KES 7.5 Million for Defamatory Facebook Posts

May 29, 2025
AI Africa policies database

New Platform Brings All African AI Policies Under One Database

May 28, 2025
POATE 2025

Kenya’s Tourism Sector Grows as Travel Gets Easier Across East Africa

May 28, 2025
sodium-ion battery

Researchers Develop Sodium-Ion Battery That Charges to 80% in 6 Minutes

May 27, 2025
TV Gambling Ads

Regulator Fines Stations Using Religious Shows to Push Gambling

May 27, 2025
Connected Africa Summit 2025

Connected Africa 2025 Day 2: Focus on Digital Inclusion & Cybersecurity

May 27, 2025
whatsapp chatbots

iPad Users May Finally Get a Native WhatsApp App

May 28, 2025
Connected Africa Summit

Connected Africa Summit Calls for Unified Tech Vision

May 28, 2025
Techweez | Tech News, Reviews, Deals, Tips and How To
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • Editorial
No Result
View All Result
Techweez | Tech News, Reviews, Deals, Tips and How To
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • Editorial
No Result
View All Result
Techweez | Tech News, Reviews, Deals, Tips and How To
No Result
View All Result

Next version of Android is codenamed M, already available for preview

Emmanuel Chenze by Emmanuel Chenze
May 29, 2015
in News
Reading Time: 4 mins read
258
0

Android M - Nexus devices 2

As expected, Google unveiled android M, the next version of Android after Lollipop. While Lollipop was one of the biggest overhauls of Android since Ice Cream Sandwich back in 2011, Android M is an incremental update that seeks to polish the Android experience and quash bugs. Google has done a lot of streamlining to Lollipop since it was introduced as Android 5.0 last year with the latest update, 5.1.1, serving to address lots of the bugs that have plagued the new operating system version that currently has an adoption rate just below 10%.

App permissions

Android M’s biggest feature is the overhaul of Android’s app permissions. For the longest time, permissions have been a thorn with most Android users. For instance, why would an alarm clock application want to access my camera and call logs? Why would a barebones puzzle game require access to my phone’s microphone?

Google is addressing all those concerns with the M release. Users will be able to control every permission applications require in order to function smoothly. They won’t be bombarded with a long list of permissions requiring a blanket approval. Every time an app requires access to a certain resource like say location, it will alert you and you can choose to either grant or deny it the permission to access GPS. That will happen during app install, throughout usage and even later. Users can revoke permissions they earlier granted as they wish.

Custom Chrome Tabs

The other change coming to Android concerns the app-to-web experience. How the two link. Google wants to make sure that users have a smooth experience when transitioning from an app to a web page in a browser or another app. For instance if you click a link to an Instagram photo on your Twitter timeline, under Android M, the system automatically detects that you have the Instagram app installed on your phone and routes your request directly to the app. At the moment, you’ll be redirected to a browser of your choice before that detection happens and you’re prompted to choose if you still want to proceed and view the photo on the browser or on the app.

App developers will be able to seamlessly include a full mobile browser experience within their apps so it still looks like the user is in the app while enjoying all the benefits of the full Chrome browser and not being constrained by the limitations of Android WebView. For instance, users can benefit from Chrome’s stored site logins and form fill information while not having to fully leave the particular app.

Fingerprint scanners

Ever since the iPhone 5s was unveiled with a fingerprint scanner, Android OEMs have stopped at nothing to also offer similar features. Samsung with the clumsy fingerprint scanner on the Galaxy S5, HTC with another awkward implementation on the back of the One Max and Huawei with a decent implementation on the Mate 7. It is only recently that the likes of Samsung have started nailing it with devices like the Galaxy S6. Even then, all those were their own efforts and they required the custom overlays Android OEMs are so famous for. Support for fingerprint sensors wasn’t yet built into Android. With Android M, it now is and expect to see more and more devices coming out with fingerprint scanners.

Android M fingerprint scanner

Besides, Google is also prepping its own mobile payments service, Android Pay. The fingerprint scanners on Android devices will allow users to authorize payments quickly.

Battery

Battery life is a major concern for most users and Android devices are notorious for extraneous battery sapping mechanisms. That’s why on every half-decent Android device out in the market today, it has features like ultra power saving mode. Battery issues were to be a thing of the past with Lollipop’s Project Volta. That only got so far.

Android M brings with it a new dozing feature that will automatically detect when the device has been idle for sometime and save power power by entering it into an auto-hibernation mode. In that mode, everything runs on low power and there are fewer wakelocks and background syncs. Users will be able to notice significant increase in battery life as a result. That sounds good as announced and we really hope it will translate into real world usage when Android M finally leaves the preview phase later in the year.

USB Type-C

In early March, Apple took the world by surprise when it announced a Macbook with just one port. Just one. A USB Type-C. It not only guarantees faster transfer speeds for both data and power but it also can be plugged in either way. A day after that announcement, Google unveiled the new Chromebook Pixel sporting the USB Type-C port as well. Since then, it has been very clear that the USB Type-C port, and not any other, is the future. Google re-affirmed that when it announced that starting with the next Nexus devices (will they be two smartphones minus a tablet?), all its mobile devices will ship with the USB Type-C. Why? It is about time and yes, Android now supports them as well. We expect most Android devices being announced from later this year to also follow suit and have it.

Others

Android M will bring tonnes of other minor changes. Like the simplification of volume controls to give users more control over several audio sources like the alarm clock instead of having the ringtone volume dictating the volume of everything else other than notifications and media.

Android M is already available as a developer preview. While the first experimental builds are bound to have lots of bugs and will hardly be satisfactory for use as daily drivers, if you are feeling geeky and want to try them out, you can check the Android Developers website. Just make sure you have a Nexus device lying around. A Nexus 5, 6, 9 or the Nexus Player. Those are the only Nexus devices that can preview Android M at the moment. The older Nexus 7 tablets and the very old Nexus 10 aren’t invited to the party, yet.

Tags: AndroidAndroid MGoogleGoogle I/O 2015
SendShare146Tweet92
Emmanuel Chenze

Emmanuel Chenze

Emmanuel writes on mobile hardware, software and platforms.

Related Posts

google-veo-3

Actors and Film Crews Are Worried About Veo 3 Taking Their Jobs

May 29, 2025
veo 3

Veo 3 by Google Sets a New Standard in AI Video Creation

May 28, 2025
Apple-Glasses

Apple Is Planning to Launch Smart Glasses by 2026 to Rival Meta and Google

May 28, 2025
google-chrome

Google Chrome Will Start Automatically Replacing Your Weak Passwords

May 22, 2025
google-meet

Google Meet Brings Real-Time Language Translation with Gemini

May 21, 2025
Google I/O 2025

Google I/O 2025 Highlights: Gemini, XR Glasses & Project Astra

May 21, 2025

Latest

kenya-parliament

Parliament Invites Public Feedback on Virtual Asset Bill 2025

May 30, 2025
ConnectedAfrica2025(Day4)-meta-foondamate

Connected Africa 2025 Day 4: FoondaMate and Meta Team Up to Bring AI to Classrooms

May 29, 2025
google-veo-3

Actors and Film Crews Are Worried About Veo 3 Taking Their Jobs

May 29, 2025
iOS 26

Apple Plans Big Rename for iOS and macOS at WWDC 2025

May 29, 2025
University student fined for defamatory Facebook posts

University Student Fined KES 7.5 Million for Defamatory Facebook Posts

May 29, 2025
AI Africa policies database

New Platform Brings All African AI Policies Under One Database

May 28, 2025

Best devices

budget smartwatches 2025

Best Budget Smartwatches To Buy in Kenya 2025

February 13, 2025

Best Infinix Smartphones To Buy in Kenya 2024

February 13, 2025

Best Laptops for Battery Life in 2024

August 21, 2024

Best “Battery Warrior” Smartphones To Buy in 2024

August 22, 2024

Parliament Invites Public Feedback on Virtual Asset Bill 2025

May 30, 2025

Connected Africa 2025 Day 4: FoondaMate and Meta Team Up to Bring AI to Classrooms

May 29, 2025

Techweez is a fast growing influential source of technology news, reviews and analysis by leading tech geeks in the industry.

Follow Us

Editorials

Actors and Film Crews Are Worried About Veo 3 Taking Their Jobs

Samsung QLED TVs Now Officially Certified for Real Quantum Dot Technology

Trump’s Tariffs Will Be the End of Affordable Tech

5 Ways to Prep Your Tech for Resale

The Weaponization of PDFs: How Cybercriminals Are Exploiting a Trusted Format

Introducing A Brainbox Quiz: Techweez’s Monthly Trivia Night!

More News

Kenya’s Tourism Sector Grows as Travel Gets Easier Across East Africa

Researchers Develop Sodium-Ion Battery That Charges to 80% in 6 Minutes

Regulator Fines Stations Using Religious Shows to Push Gambling

Connected Africa 2025 Day 2: Focus on Digital Inclusion & Cybersecurity

iPad Users May Finally Get a Native WhatsApp App

Connected Africa Summit Calls for Unified Tech Vision

  • Terms Of Use
  • Techweez Brand
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact Us

© 2024 Techweez - Palahala Media Group may earn a commission when you buy through links on our sites.
A Palahala Media Group Brand. All rights reserved.
.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

Techweez | Tech News, Reviews, Deals, Tips and How To
Crunchy Cookies 🍪 Ahead!

Hey there! Just a heads-up: we're big fans of cookies - both the digital and edible kind! 🍪 We use our cookies and some from third parties to ensure your browsing experience on our site is smooth sailing and secure.

 

But wait, there's more! We also use cookies to gather stats and insights on how you navigate our site. It's like getting a behind-the-scenes peek at your digital adventures!

 

Don't worry, you're in control. You can adjust your cookie settings anytime to suit your preferences. Feeling curious? Dive into our Privacy Policy for all the juicy details. Happy browsing! 🚀

Functional Always active
Listen, this legal stuff is about as exciting as watching paint dry. But it basically says we only use your stuff for what you asked us to do, and nobody else gets to peek!
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
It's those sneaky cookie crumbs websites leave behind to count visitors, like counting ants at a picnic! Totally harmless, just for fun facts. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
Hey there! Just letting you know we use some fancy gizmos to remember your preferences. This way, we can show you ads that are, well, not completely bananas.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
Make cookies
{title} {title} {title}
Techweez | Tech News, Reviews, Deals, Tips and How To
Crunchy Cookies 🍪 Ahead!
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
Listen, this legal stuff is about as exciting as watching paint dry. But it basically says we only use your stuff for what you asked us to do, and nobody else gets to peek!
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
It's those sneaky cookie crumbs websites leave behind to count visitors, like counting ants at a picnic! Totally harmless, just for fun facts. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
Hey there! Just letting you know we use some fancy gizmos to remember your preferences. This way, we can show you ads that are, well, not completely bananas.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
Make cookies
{title} {title} {title}
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • Editorial
  • Automotive
  • Entertainment

© 2024 Techweez - Palahala Media Group may earn a commission when you buy through links on our sites.
A Palahala Media Group Brand. All rights reserved.
.