Will the new Google Pixel smartphones actually run on a modified version Android? Judging by the leaked Google Pixel launcher, this is true, even if the changes are relatively small …
Google Pixel
There are a lot of rumors about upcoming Pixel devices, and the main attention is focused on their software platform, and not on the iron component. It is not surprising – you will not surprise anyone with the amount of “RAM” or a modern chipset these days, but the fact that the heirs of the Nexus will receive a modified shell is really curious.
The new Pixel smartphone skin is rumored to be a collaboration between designers from Google and HTC. Not surprisingly, many fans of the Taiwanese company hope that the shell can simultaneously repeat the success of earlier versions of Sense, and not deviate too much from the canons Android. And I must say that this is one of the most interesting, but at the same time the least likely scenarios for the development of events.
Usually, when it comes to unannounced smartphones, users can only blindly believe rumors or guess on the coffee grounds. In the case of Pixel, everything is different – the installation file of the proprietary launcher has long been leaked to the network, and in the latest version from Nexus Laucher it was renamed to Pixel Launcher. Which once again confirms the fact that new smartphones will not belong to the Nexus line.
Finding an apk file on the network will not be a problem (for example, you can take it on androidpolice), but just in case, I remind you that you install it at your own peril and risk. The bundle with the launcher itself usually comes with a package with branded wallpaper, which must be installed separately.
Pixel Launcher
The first difference that catches your eye is a new widget that replaces the standard Google search bar. It consists of two parts – a tab with the Google logo is located closer to the left side of the screen, the day, month, year and day of the week are displayed closer to the right. In my opinion, the widget looks good.
As far as I understand, the bookmark can be dragged to the right by 'pulling' the Google Now window onto the screen. But at least on my smartphone, this gesture does not work, you can only go to the standard search window by tapping on the icon in the form of the letter G.
The widget is present only on the main screen and occupies one line. Thus, on the first screen, the user has a 3×4 space, on the second and subsequent ones – 4×4. Perhaps the grid size also depends on the size of the diagonal or the screen resolution of the smartphone itself; in some screenshots on the Internet, you can see five icons in a row at once.
There is no separate icon for calling the application menu; instead, a vertical swipe from the bottom of the screen is used. Interestingly, the maximum number of icons in the dock bar is still four.
The menu itself is made in the style of the latest versions Android – a white background, a 4 × 5 grid of icons, a list of frequently used applications, a search bar that allows you to search for applications both on the phone and on Google Play. On the right side there is a slider with which you can quickly scroll through the list to the desired position.
The desktop editing menu opens with a long tap on an empty spot on the screen or with the 'pinch' gesture. Everything is standard here – desktop thumbnails (all but the first can be swapped), buttons for choosing wallpaper, adding new widgets and going to the launcher settings.
The list of settings is not rich at all and has only three items: “Recommended applications”, “Show Google App” and “Allow to rotate the main screen”.
The last item allows you to use the launcher in landscape mode. There are no problems with the rotation of the desktop itself and the program icons, but the widgets sometimes do not look very nice. I would like to believe that in the final version of the launcher this moment will be corrected.
Several new items have appeared in the wallpaper selection menu. These are themed collections of wallpapers that use 500px photos and possibly some other photo resources. You can either just set the picture you like as a background, or use the 'Wallpaper for every day' function.
Outcome
Apparently, the hopes of the fans HTC are not destined to come true. Pixel smartphones will indeed receive a not quite classic version Android, but there is no talk of any global system changes. On the other hand, the shell looks nice, it works smartly, and it will most likely be updated at the speed of 'clean' Android in Nexus devices.
This is clearly not the final version of the launcher, and what the rest of the shell components will look like is not yet entirely clear, but the main trends can be noted right now. This is a transition from tapes on buttons to gestures, a more effective use of free space by abandoning the old proprietary widget and support for landscape mode.
In my opinion, Google is going in the right direction, but somehow very slowly and carefully.