In the wake of this morning ‘Nexus’ benchmark leaks we are now getting a first look at some more UI refinements coming to the 2016 Google smartphones line-up, the 5.5″ Marlin and 5″ Sailfish.
Courtsey of Android Police, we are getting a look at a few new UI elements including the Settings app, ambient display mode, and the rumoured night mode.
Settings UI
The new settings UI is coming ready to support the expected Google Support Tool we previously covered, that will allow Nexus owners to get real time onscreen assistant straight from Google. Unfortunately, there aren’t any screenshots of the current version of the support tool but you can see a tab ready for it.
Night Light
Google’s night time display mode has a name, “Night Light”. For those unfamiliar with the concept, the night mode removes the blue light from your display – which apparently adversely affects your sleep. There are several popular 3rd party apps and Some OEMs already doing this, but Google is now baking it into their hardware (maybe software too).
There was a similar feature in the Android N developer preview that was pulled before the final version. It’s interesting to now see it appear exclusively for Google hardware, adding further credence to Sundar Pichai’s statements about Google adding more feature exclusive to their hardware.
One of the features that Motorola brought to the world was their Moto Display feature where important information and notifications could easily be displayed on the lock screen. according tho this leak Google has refined that feature into “Quick screen check”.
By either double tapping the screen or picking up the device you can wake the display to quickly glance at your lock screen notifications. It’s little features like these that delight users and it’s nice to see them included. It’s also nice to see an off toggle for those sick of phones waking and activating in their pockets.
As with all rumours of this nature just take a grain of salt and remember that even if this is how Google is intending to release the products right now, anything can change between now and launch?
How are you liking the UI and feature changes? Let us know below.
Where are you getting the night mode being a nexus exclusive from? Haven’t seen any evidence of that?
As a minority left handed and as phones become bigger I would like a left handed mode (I know they have RTL in developer options, it sucks). It does not need to be big changes just a few small ones.
What does left handed mode change?
I did like the double-tap for a while, but since having recent Moto phones, tbh being able to wave your hand over the screen is better, more responsive and generally just cooler. It’s like waking your phone with the Force! Hopefully the new Nexus have these sensors, but considering that gif, I guess chances are slim.
I really like the idea of waving your hand across the screen to get notifications but this seems useful too. What I don’t like about moto display is that it turns on so often. Sometimes the moto x pure will just be sitting there and all the sudden it’ll turn moto display on. I actually much prefer the ambient display of the Nexus 6(P).
Hopefully you can toggle double tap on and pick up off. Would rather it not waking up in my pocket but double tap is a great feature and use it on my Nexus 9 just about every time I want to wake it up.
Agreed, I use double tap on my N9 all the time and would love to have it on my phone.
Nice! Can’t wait!