Where is the next gen Android 5.0 ?

[Tig Bitties]

With WWDC 2014 from Apple, it makes me wonder what Google and Matias Duarte have in store for the next generation Android OS ?

It seems it's been a long while since Google did a major Android update, being 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich back in 2011 three years ago.

Right now stock Android seems style wise like a mixed bag of sorts, still some of the old dark Holo theme, while also the newer brighter card style stuff from Google Now launcher. And it doesn't look or feel consistent anymore, like a some of the old ICS stuff with KK stuff, but not 100% one single design road.

Do you think Google plans a major update and all new look, design, and feel to Android with a 5.0 release soon ? Or will Google just keep tweaking Android a little bit every year, with point releases like a 4.5 this Summer or Fall ?

 

[Vegastouch]

With WWDC 2014 from Apple, it makes me wonder what Google and Matias Duarte have in store for the next generation Android OS ?

It seems it's been a long while since Google did a major Android update, being 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich back in 2011 three years ago.

Right now stock Android seems style wise like a mixed bag of sorts, still some of the old dark Holo theme, while also the newer brighter card style stuff from Google Now launcher. And it doesn't look or feel consistent anymore, like a some of the old ICS stuff with KK stuff, but not 100% one single design road.

Do you think Google plans a major update and all new look, design, and feel to Android with a 5.0 release soon ? Or will Google just keep tweaking Android a little bit every year, with point releases like a 4.5 this Summer or Fall ?

I think Kitkat is leaps and bounds better than ICS.

 

[AustinIllini]

With WWDC 2014 from Apple, it makes me wonder what Google and Matias Duarte have in store for the next generation Android OS ?

It seems it's been a long while since Google did a major Android update, being 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich back in 2011 three years ago.

Right now stock Android seems style wise like a mixed bag of sorts, still some of the old dark Holo theme, while also the newer brighter card style stuff from Google Now launcher. And it doesn't look or feel consistent anymore, like a some of the old ICS stuff with KK stuff, but not 100% one single design road.

Do you think Google plans a major update and all new look, design, and feel to Android with a 5.0 release soon ? Or will Google just keep tweaking Android a little bit every year, with point releases like a 4.5 this Summer or Fall ?

I would bet on 4.5. 4.4 is lightyears ahead of ICS. I'm not confident a new version number is necessary at this point.

 

[zbarvian]

Google has a massive amount of work to do on the development side, Apple's announcement yesterday make Android's tools and APIs look primitive. It's not something that could be straightened with a small update, either...I'm also pining for a next gen version, and there's maybe evidence to support that one is coming from the AP leaks.

 

[SpoonCody]

I personally hope there isn't some major redesign anytime too soon. I'm just getting used to Android on my Moto X, and am enjoying it quite a lot. There's always room for improvements of course, but I'm amazed how much Android can already do that my 5C (my daily driver) can't. I'm getting quite comfortable and used to such luxuries and features. Also, it seems like Google's constantly working on their individual apps year-round, which is nice. It feels like you're getting mini-software updates every time that happens. And even when third party developers update their apps, the fact that you can make anything default in a way feels like those updates are also little mini-software updates since they affect you system side when you set them to be default. I'm really starting to appreciate the model Google is taking, so we shall see.

iOS 8 was pretty exciting either way, but I wonder if it's a bit too late? I'm interested to see what the next generation Moto X brings. I think that'll be a big deciding factor for me on which will be my next daily driver. If they could bring the camera up to par with the Galaxy S5, that'd be exciting (I find the 5C camera only slightly better than the Moto X's camera).

 

[Technarchy]

Kitkat stomps all previous versions of android.

Also:

Google I/O
June 25–26, 2014

 

[Tig Bitties]

I love Android, have owned the first four Nexus phones, now an HTC One M8. I am just saying, wouldn't mind a fresh new update to Android, but it's not really needed.

 

[Vegastouch]

Google has a massive amount of work to do on the development side, Apple's announcement yesterday make Android's tools and APIs look primitive. It's not something that could be straightened with a small update, either...I'm also pining for a next gen version, and there's maybe evidence to support that one is coming from the AP leaks.

C-mon man

----------

I love Android, have owned the first four Nexus phones, now an HTC One M8. I am just saying, wouldn't mind a fresh new update to Android, but it's not really needed.

It doesnt have to be a 5.0. Kitkat was a big update compared to ICS which was 4.0. Whatever the next big step up is, im sure it will have cool features. Last i read, Google was wanting to make ALL Android phones have the always listening feature so im sure that will come down the pike at some point this year.

Id also love to have the double tap to wake feature since i have a Nexus 5.

 

[jrswizzle]

C-mon man

I'm no developer - is he wrong? I've always heard/though Apple's dev tools were ahead of Android's. And they released a whole slew of new things for devs to use and tools that will make it easy for them....

 

[lazard]

Google has a massive amount of work to do on the development side, Apple's announcement yesterday make Android's tools and APIs look primitive. It's not something that could be straightened with a small update, either...I'm also pining for a next gen version, and there's maybe evidence to support that one is coming from the AP leaks.

Yesterday's announcement was basically Apple taking the best features of different apps (Whatsapp, Dropbox, Skype/Viber, Snapchat, to name a few) and some features from Android, integrating it into iOS and calling it Apple's latest and greatest innovations.

 

[gotluck]

I know nothing about the developer kit, but I dont see how iOS applications will surpass android feature-wise

As a user I dont really care about the development process. As it stands android is capable of more features, how is this changing?

Google has a massive amount of work to do on the development side, Apple's announcement yesterday make Android's tools and APIs look primitive. It's not something that could be straightened with a small update, either...I'm also pining for a next gen version, and there's maybe evidence to support that one is coming from the AP leaks.

Where is apples response to the notification api? I want full pushbullet on iOS!

 

[jamezr]

Yesterday's announcement was basically Apple taking the best features of different apps (Whatsapp, Dropbox, Skype/Viber, Snapchat, to name a few) and some features from Android, integrating it into iOS and calling it Apple's latest and greatest innovations.

No truer words have been spoken in this thread.....

 

[zbarvian]

Yesterday's announcement was basically Apple taking the best features of different apps (Whatsapp, Dropbox, Skype/Viber, Snapchat, to name a few) and some features from Android, integrating it into iOS and calling it Apple's latest and greatest innovations.

Then you clearly overlooked what they introduced for developers, which were arguably the biggest deal. New programming language and suite, wide-reaching and extensive APIs, pretty neat stuff.

 

[atticus27]

android studios is a good step forward for devs, but yeah Apple is way better with the simplicity of xCode compared to eclipse (I think android studios is still in beta).
4.5 will probably be a more polished version of kit-kat. I'd like a new UI for the play music app. I'm not a fan of the halloween colors.

 

[Vegastouch]

Then you clearly overlooked what they introduced for developers, which were arguably the biggest deal. New programming language and suite, wide-reaching and extensive APIs, pretty neat stuff.

Your right, Health, Sharing Extensions & widgets were NOT already a feature from Samsung and Google

I truly think those are great things for iOS and applaud Apple finally getting with the program but please dont try and tell us something different. Apple still has a ways to go as far as opening things up.

 

[TechGod]

Yesterday's announcement was basically Apple taking the best features of different apps (Whatsapp, Dropbox, Skype/Viber, Snapchat, to name a few) and some features from Android, integrating it into iOS and calling it Apple's latest and greatest innovations.

Apple never used the word innovation in the WWDC keynote. But way to go for repeating the same **** again and again.

 

[Lloydbm41]

Then you clearly overlooked what they introduced for developers, which were arguably the biggest deal. New programming language and suite, wide-reaching and extensive APIs, pretty neat stuff.

That was probably the biggest deal/ takeaway for this years event. That and 3rd party API integration for things like touch id.

I think some people forget what WWDC is. The 3rd letter is kind of critical.

 

[NT1440]

Yesterday's announcement was basically Apple taking the best features of different apps (Whatsapp, Dropbox, Skype/Viber, Snapchat, to name a few) and some features from Android, integrating it into iOS and calling it Apple's latest and greatest innovations.

Sure, if you don't understand anything about development.

The tools that Apple just handed over to devs were a massive announcement.

Metal alone means that Apple is on track for true gaming experience on AppleTV very shortly. Next years updates to it are going to be close to current gaming stations, at a much lower price.

 

[Lloydbm41]

Sure, if you don't understand anything about development.

The tools that Apple just handed over to devs were a massive announcement.

Metal alone means that Apple is on track for true gaming experience on AppleTV very shortly. Next years updates to it are going to be close to current gaming stations, at a much lower price.

Don't see Apple making gaming a major feature of ATV. Much less having the gaming capabilities you see from Xbox or ps4. Just isn't going to happen.

 

[adder7712]

Don't see Apple making gaming a major feature of ATV. Much less having the gaming capabilities you see from Xbox or ps4. Just isn't going to happen.

I'm sure most games would just be games ported over from mobile iOS. Not too interesting to say the least.

It's definitely no PS4 or Xbone competitor however.

 

[zbarvian]

That was probably the biggest deal/ takeaway for this years event. That and 3rd party API integration for things like touch id.

I think some people forget what WWDC is. The 3rd letter is kind of critical.

Agreed. Even on their own iOS product page they introduce it as being "for developers," with some end user features in there too. The richness and depth of the new APIs is pretty astounding, many pain points were addressed, and Swift looks promising.

 

[spinedoc77]

With WWDC 2014 from Apple, it makes me wonder what Google and Matias Duarte have in store for the next generation Android OS ?

It seems it's been a long while since Google did a major Android update, being 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich back in 2011 three years ago.

Right now stock Android seems style wise like a mixed bag of sorts, still some of the old dark Holo theme, while also the newer brighter card style stuff from Google Now launcher. And it doesn't look or feel consistent anymore, like a some of the old ICS stuff with KK stuff, but not 100% one single design road.

Do you think Google plans a major update and all new look, design, and feel to Android with a 5.0 release soon ? Or will Google just keep tweaking Android a little bit every year, with point releases like a 4.5 this Summer or Fall ?

Android does seem like a mishmash of different themes and concepts, it's downright ugly at times IMO. Some stuff has the dark holo theme, then you switch to something else with a glaring white theme, terrible. Widgets also are all over the place, I've spent days trying to match widgets to each other and finally just gave up.

Android also has so many little negative quirks that really get on my nerves, just completely stupid things that any engineer worth his salt would never let pass through to a final finished product. None of them are deal breakers or significant, but encountering them daily just drives me nuts. The only thing really holding me to Android is my Note 3, basically the hardware. If the IP6 comes out as a phablet it's going to be a tough decision, but other than the stylus there would not be much holding me back.

 

[Tarzanman]

Android does seem like a mishmash of different themes and concepts, it's downright ugly at times IMO. Some stuff has the dark holo theme, then you switch to something else with a glaring white theme, terrible. Widgets also are all over the place, I've spent days trying to match widgets to each other and finally just gave up.

Android also has so many little negative quirks that really get on my nerves, just completely stupid things that any engineer worth his salt would never let pass through to a final finished product. None of them are deal breakers or significant, but encountering them daily just drives me nuts. The only thing really holding me to Android is my Note 3, basically the hardware. If the IP6 comes out as a phablet it's going to be a tough decision, but other than the stylus there would not be much holding me back.

Sounds like Android isn't for you, bud. There's no shame in that... but maybe you should try a windows phone device since the UI on your note isn't cutting it for you.

 

[spinedoc77]

Sounds like Android isn't for you, bud. There's no shame in that... but maybe you should try a windows phone device since the UI on your note isn't cutting it for you.

Yeah it's not really my cup of tea. I just haven't found any hardware to match the Note 3 yet.