Google just announced Android M, an upcoming version of Android that aimed at improving the core user experience. It is the most polished Android release to date, said the company. There are the six important things that Android M concentrates on – App Permissions, Web Experience, App Links, Mobile Payments, Fingerprint Support, Power & Charging.
Android M will offer granular app that will let you select permissions manually (such as location, camera, microphone, contacts, phone and SMS) that an app can have access to, instead of asking for permissions prior to installation. You can change the permissions once the app has been installed. You can even see all the apps that have access to a permission.
Chrome custom tabs in Android M will let developers stick Chrome into their apps. It looks like an in-app browser, but it’s actually Chrome. It also supports saved passwords, auto-fill and all the other features available on Chrome. App Links will let you open links directly within an app, instead of choosing which app you want to use when you click a link.
Android Pay allows users to use NFC and Host Card Emulation. It even works for in-app purchases. US operators AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile will pre-install it on new devices. Android Pay will work in 700,000 stores in the US and it’ll also work with Visa, MasterCard, AmEx and Discover cards, said Google. It will work on devices with Android KitKat or later. Google also said that it is working on fingerprint reader support that will let you authenticate your purchase with a fingerprint.
Doze is a new feature in Android M that will use motion detection to cut off background activity when the phone is in standby, but it will still wake up for important events like alarms. Android is also getting USB Type-C connector. Android M will also bring several other changes such as separate drop down volume control option to control individual levels, word selection will be better with word chunking and more.
Android M Developer preview will be available for Nexus 5, 6, 9 and Player starting today. Stable release will be available in Q3 2015.