Google has released Android 16 to the masses, as it’s now available for compatible handsets.
The company says new devices will come preloaded with the OS in “the coming months.”
UltraHDR images have been improved, with support for HEIC encoding, and Android 16 offers integration with the high-end Advanced Professional Video (APV) codec.
That feature will be available to general users later in the year, but Android 16 QPR 3 Beta 2 is currently previewing the feature.
New features include a Pixel VIPs widget that displays information on preferred contacts and more expressive captions on videos.
Google has made Android 16 widely accessible by making it compatible with smartphones. According to the company, in “the coming months,” new devices will have the OS preinstalled. It will initially be available on Google’s own Pixel phones, as is customary.
The update has a number of noteworthy features. Notifications with real-time updates could be the most significant. People won’t have to keep opening and closing the app to figure out why a burrito seems to be stuck four blocks away thanks to this change, which will see progress bars for things like ride-sharing and food deliveries appear directly in the notification.
Furthermore, in order to minimize clutter and pings, notifications from the same app will now be automatically grouped together. With a native control option, LE audio hearing aids are now supported. When using one of these devices, users can also switch to the microphone on their phone for better audio quality in noisy environments.
Users can now be protected from “online attacks, harmful apps, unsafe websites, scam calls, and more with just a tap” thanks to Google’s integration of all its security features. This includes the recently unveiled scam detection features from May.
Shutterbugs are getting a pretty extensive list of new features, such as more accurate color temperature adjustments, hybrid auto exposure, and automatic night mode scene detection. Android 16 offers integration with the premium Advanced Professional Video (APV) codec, and UltraHDR images have been enhanced with support for HEIC encoding.
Android desktop windowing is finally coming from the company, though it’s not quite ready yet. Although Android 16 QPR 3 Beta 2 is currently previewing the feature, the general public will be able to access it later this year.
An interesting update to the Android ecosystem with some useful features is also available. This includes the ability to mute threads and customized icons in RCS group chats. Google Photos now has an AI-powered image editor that makes edit suggestions. New sticker combinations are being added to Emoji Kitchen, and Wear OS devices can now pay for transit fares without launching a separate app.
In conclusion, Google has provided information regarding the June Pixel Drop. A Pixel VIPs widget that shows details about preferred contacts and more creative video captions are examples of new features.
