Android L

Android L

Lollipop? Licorice? Lemonhead? While the new Android's candy-derived name remains a mystery, we now know a lot more about the changes coming when "Android L" arrives this fall.

Material Design. The most noticeable change is the introduction of a new design language across Android. Material Design builds on the Cards metaphor first seen in Google Now, establishing a hierarchy of transitions and animations to imitate real life. Expect colorful interfaces, playful transitions, and animations straight out of Disney's playbook.

So far we've only seen snippets of the new look in action. In addition to the new Material Design language, there's redesigned iconography, tweaked typography, and a new, more abstract set of onscreen buttons. We also had brief glimpses at radically different stock apps including Gmail, Calendar, and the Dialer.

Multitasking redefined. With Android L, Google is rethinking the way multitasking works. Rather than simply showing you previews of your recent applications, the new Recents menu will let you jump right into the part of the app you're interested in. This means that tabs in Chrome or documents in Drive will show up as separate preview panes, and developers will be able to tap into the new functionality too. It's easy to see apps like Hangouts, Messenger, and WhatsApp taking advantage of this new view to break conversations out into tabs that are accessible from anywhere.

Notifications. Google is placing a big emphasis on the lock screen as the home of notifications in Android.  It's similar to the system already in place in Android 4.4's notification drawer, but with each item neatly segmented into Cards. You'll be able to dismiss or deal with notifications straight from the lock screen, with granular controls in place to let you define which apps can be managed without unlocking your device. There are also new drop-down notifications for when you're in an app that look like large floating Cards.

Project Volta. Named after Alessandro Volta, the Italian physicist who invented the battery, Project Volta is a broad set of optimizations and tools that Google says will improve battery life in Android. Battery Historian is a new tool that will give users and developers a greater understanding of how apps are consuming energy, while a new API lets developers make more power-efficient apps by giving control over when background tasks are performed. There’s also a Battery Saver mode coming that Google claims will give users another 90 minutes of usage by switching off all but the most vital functions.

Android everywhere. Google's dominant mobile OS is no longer just for phones or tablets. Android Wear, an initiative to get the mobile OS onto wearables, was a large focus. Google wants Android on all wearables, whether they’re smartwatches like the Moto 360 or headsets like Google Glass. The first Android Wear smartwatches are available to order through Google Play, and Android L will be able to utilize them in ways KitKat cannot. For example, you'll be able to unlock your smartphone without a passcode or pattern if you're wearing a paired smartwatch.

Android TV is yet another attempt to get Google services into your living room. Built on top of Android L, it has all the functionality of the company's Chromecast device, but pairs that with a more traditional media streaming setup (think Apple TV, Roku, or Amazon's new Fire TV). Set-top boxes running Android TV will be available in 2015, and will also be built into TVs from Sony and Sharp.

Android Auto puts often-used features from smartphones directly into your car. The platform offers calling, texting, navigation, and music, all controlled via a Google Now-style home screen optimized for voice commands or in-car controls. According to Google it'll launch later this year with support from the likes of Dodge, Chevrolet, Chrysler, and Audi.

There were other smaller announcements, such as the ability to run Android apps through Chrome OS, and also receive Android notifications directly on your laptop. The message is simple: Google wants Android L to be the release that takes its dominant mobile operating system and puts it everywhere — your phone, your tablet, your laptop, your TV, your wrist, and, with Glass expected to make its way to consumers soon, even your face.