Google has just taken the wraps off of Android 5.0, with the Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 shipping to users this week. Motorola is pushing updates to 5.0 already, and there’s a huge vocal push from the other manufacturers to get the update out as quickly as possible. It’s entirely possible that this will be the fastest update most of these high end Android phones have ever seen, and on top of that 5.
0 is without a doubt the most impressive update to the platform to date.There’s so much to appreciate about this new version of Android that we here at Geek found ourselves wondering what more you could possibly ask for in a mobile OS. As it turns out, that list is actually a little longer than expected. We’ve boiled it down to five things that would make Android an unstoppable force in the future, especially if these things are delivered with the same fit and finish as what we’ve seen in Android 5.0.
A complete backup and restore system
Google is King of the Cloud, and the ability to grab your data from one device and place it on another is incredibly cool. The way Android 5.0 allows you to use either NFC or your Google Play account to restore apps and settings from another device registered to your account is inspired, and feels both simple to use and secure enough to rely on. That having been said, Android is not just one single thing with one type of behavior. Many apps still don’t sync your data to the cloud, which means despite this new-ish experience you still have a lot to do when setting up your new device. The same goes for if you even have to wipe your existing device, should the need ever arise.
Google could solve this — even if only through AOSP and the Nexus line — by offering a total system state backup. It’s not a new thought, and it has worked well for Google’s competition for years. Being able to take a snapshot of your smartphone and save it to your Google Account, only to be restored at a later date if something goes wrong, would be an incredible tool in the Android toolbelt. We’ve seen third party developers try this through hacked together ROMs and alternative recovery solutions for years, and it’s time for Google to step up and really finish the thought.
Added functionality in the power button
Have you pressed and held down your power button on a Nexus device recently? You get one option: power off. Meanwhile, Motorola’s power command gives me the ability to mute my phone, toggle Airplane mode, set my vibration state, and more. Most every manufacturer has added functionality into this area, leaving Google’s Nexus devices feeling particularly barren when you hold that button down.
Google could do a ton of things here, especially now that Android 5.0 supports multiple profiles on phones. Holding down the power button could access a profile switcher, taking advantage of the enhanced notification control toggle in 5.0, or how about just a reboot option in there somewhere? There’s so much more than just Power Off that could be done with this space, even if the end result is occasionally redundant.
Multi-device family management
Google has answered a lot of prayers with multi-profile support in Android, and the truth is this setup works better than any other solution if you’ve got multiple people using the same tablet or if you need a firm dividing line between work and play on your phone. Especially with Android 5.0, this multi-profile setup on a tablet with lots of storage is fantastic. It’s the evolution of the “family computer” in an age where mobile devices are singular, personal devices, and that’s a very good thing. That having been said, we are still also in an age where mobile devices are singular, personal devices and there’s not a convenient way for a family of users to manage multiple devices under a single umbrella account.
The Google Play Store has always lagged a bit behind Apple when it comes to things like gift card support and child accounts, and with the improvements Apple made this year for parent-child relationships across multiple device that lag is clearly still present. Google’s parent-child management tools in Android 5.0 would be fantastic if extended to more than just the accounts on a single device, and it would go a long way towards encouraging an all Google Play environment for purchases if those policies extended to things like purchase approval from the parent account.
Fix the back button
You can’t explain in one small sentence what the back button on Android actually does. No one can, because the back button does many different things depending on where in the OS you are and what app you happen to be in. The problem with this is that the back button always just looks like the back button, and it’s not always immediately clear what is going to happen when you tap that icon. It’s been a problem on Android from day one, and while it has gotten better over time there’s still a real need for some clarity.
Chris Lacy, a prominent mobile app developer, offered a unique and elegant solution to back button woes. In his presentation, Lacy suggested that the back button be something that physically changes to match whatever behavior is about to happen. The end result is a slight learning curve, as you’d have to learn what all of the icons mean, but the changes Lacy proposed all look and feel like the exact solution Google should be implementing to fix back button confusion.
Native audio splitting for Chromecast
This is ultra nit-picky, but it’s the kind of thing that once you’ve used it there’s just no going back. If you have a rooted Android phone and an Amazon Fire TV, there’s an app called AllCast that allows you to stream content to your television while keeping the audio from that stream on your phone. Much like the controller on a Roku TV, it allows you to plug in headphones and listen to what you are watching without disrupting anyone else in the room. For late night binge watching, it’s an incredible experience. Unfortunately, it’s the king of thing you currently have to have a very specific setup in order to enjoy.
This is an incredibly complicated proposition, as you’re effectively streaming two parts of the same file and keeping them in sync across those two devices. It would require a lot of cooperation from the folks at all of the major content hubs as well, and that’s not always easy. It’d be a huge change to make, but it would also take the Google Cast platform and set it well above the competition as well as offer a firm benefit to casting on Android.