In less than three months, Google will take the stage at its Mountain View campus in California for its annual I/O developer conference. One of the things we're expecting Google to announce at this year's I/O is Android P / 9.0, and a new report from Bloomberg sheds some light on what we could expect from the latest update.
To not much surprise, Android P will reportedly feature even deeper Google Assistant integration. Developers will have the ability to integrate the Assistant right within their apps, and the home screen search bar may prompt a search with Assistant rather than the more traditional Google Search. Neither of these two things have been finalized for P's official release, but they seem like very plausible changes.
A "dramatic redesign" is in the works for Android P.
Along with this, it's also said that Google will use its next Android update to natively support a wider variety of device form factors – including phones with multiple screens, foldable designs, and displays with notches near the top. (a la Essential Phone and iPhone X). This has me a bit concerned about the Pixel 3 as someone who's not a fan of notch-style screens, but Google apparently sees some sort of value in them if it wants to devote the time and resources to support phones like this.
On a similar note, it's reported that Google will use Android P to introduce a "dramatic redesign" for the OS. It's unclear what exactly this will entail, but it suggests that Android will see its first major aesthetic change since the introduction of Material Design with Android 5.0 Lollipop in 2014.
As for the iconic name, one of the current contenders is Android Pistachio Ice Cream. I'd personally prefer Pumpkin Pie or Panna Cotta, but that could just be my pistachio allergy talking.
Based on what we know so far, what are you most excited for with Android P?
When is Google going to release Android P?
