Will the Google Pixel Watch lastly be launched? Will 5G come normal on Android gadgets? Jack Wallen solutions these questions and extra as he gives perception into what the long run might maintain for Android.

Image: Jack Wallen
It’s time I placed on my crystal ball sun shades and gaze deep into the rays of the long run. This time round, I’m taking a look at what’s in retailer for the Android platform. As typical, the long run is foggy, however there’s nonetheless fairly a bit to glean from the trajectory we have witnessed up to now and the current. Although such prognostication is not an actual science, let’s check out what’s in retailer for Android in 2021. SEE: Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2020: Galaxy Z Fold2, Samsung Galaxy S20, and extra (free PDF) (TechRepublic) Market share dips and soars Thanks to the resounding success of the iPhone 12, Android market share will see a dip to 70% (or perhaps even barely under) for the primary time shortly. That world market share can be pushed by huge iPhone gross sales within the US. However, that dip will not final lengthy. With the discharge of the Google Pixel 6 and the subsequent huge flagship gadgets from Samsung, Android will as soon as once more soar, even reaching again above 75% of the worldwide market share. Once Android reaches again into the mid to excessive 70s, it should take some time earlier than it is knocked again out of the clouds.  Google Pixel 6 will get better its flagship standing

I bought a Google Pixel 5 and really assume it is, in some ways, an enchancment over the Google Pixel 4. It would not look nearly as good and the step down on the CPU does present itself when processing portrait pictures. Other than that, the gadget is as rock stable a Pixel telephone as I’ve ever used. As we have seen, Google learns from its errors. Although the lesser CPU was chosen to vastly enhance battery life, I consider the Google Pixel 6 will see a return to glory. Not solely has Google solved its battery issues, it’s going to convey again a flagship-level CPU (almost definitely the Snapdragon 775G) and retool the design to result in one thing fairly particular. In reality, I predict the Pixel 6 would be the must-have Android gadget by the tip of the 2021. 5G will turn into the de facto normal

It’s right here, and it is not going away. 5G has, surprisingly, been on the middle of plenty of conspiracies–all of which have been unfounded. Now it is arrived in most bigger metropolitan cities. By the tip of 2021, I count on 5G can have discovered its manner into most medium and smaller markets. But that is not the true prediction right here. By the tip of 2021, all Android gadgets will default to the 5G community and can even start to see critical developments in what these gadgets can do and the way they’ll benefit from the quicker speeds, decreased latency, and improved options. In reality, it’s best to count on to see a brand new increase in Android-based IoT gadgets able to making use of 5G.  Microsoft will buy what stays of Nokia and produce one other Android telephone Nokia not too long ago sealed a deal to turn into the biggest tools provider to BT, the UK’s greatest telecoms supplier. That’s big information. Given that Microsoft already bought a portion of Nokia, I count on they will be eager to go all the way in which now and soak up what stays of the corporate, however that is not the prediction. With extra of Nokia beneath their wing, Microsoft will begin to turn into an excellent bigger participant within the cell phone market by releasing yet one more Android-based telephone. With their Android-based Surface Duo already accessible, Microsoft has proved it has what it takes to create Android smartphones, however the Duo could be very area of interest. To treatment that, Microsoft will unleash a extra normal (learn, single display screen) gadget to compete with one of the best telephones available on the market.   Samsung will surpass the Google Pixel picture expertise Samsung has been inching up on the Google Pixel cameras for a while. With Google sticking with the identical sensor for just a few iterations, these good Pixel cameras are beginning to age much less gracefully than they as soon as did. With the subsequent Samsung gadget launch, we’ll see their digital camera expertise surpass that of the Pixel’s. Samsung’s time within the digital camera sensor highlight could possibly be quick lived, nevertheless. When the Pixel 6 arrives, Google will almost definitely have a trick or two up its sleeve to reclaim the title of high digital camera. The Google Pixel Watch will lastly be launched I’ve been predicting this for a while now, however I consider 2021 will lastly be the yr the Pixel watch can be launched. Given how properly Wear OS has improved over time, I search for the Pixel Watch to be the one to lastly persuade the Android group {that a} wearable is a must have. The Pixel Watch can be elegant, extremely purposeful, and can have a battery life that simply bests the one true competitors within the Android watch market space–the Samsung Galaxy Active2. This gadget will in all probability be introduced together with the Pixel 6 and I would not be stunned if Google supplied each telephone and watch collectively at an affordable low cost to assist sway customers. The Android improve course of will lastly begin to clean out At one time, upgrading the Android OS was an absolute nightmare. I’m not speaking concerning the improve itself as Google has carried out a outstanding job of constructing the improve of Android seamless. I’m speaking concerning the launch of upgrades throughout the board. Yes, upgrades will proceed to achieve the Pixel gadgets first, however I’d count on that by the point Android 12 is prepared, the method of getting the OS ready for third events can have smoothed out significantly. That signifies that homeowners of non-Pixel telephones will not have to attend as lengthy earlier than the most recent model of Android reaches their gadgets. Contact tracing companies can be enhanced by AI At the second, Android has contact tracing skills baked in. However, to be able to benefit from that, you should set up third-party apps. I consider, by the tip of 2021, we’ll see contact tracing in Android that does not depend on third-party apps. Even higher, contact tracing can be enhanced by AI, so it’s going to be extra environment friendly, conscious, and dependable.  More person administration of cloud backups If you attempt to use the Android cloud backup service, you rapidly discover out that it is actually solely there for once you buy a brand new telephone or restore your present telephone to manufacturing facility settings. Don’t get me improper, that is a great factor, and it really works fairly properly. However, the one factor the cloud backup resolution lacks is the power of customers to essentially handle these backups. For occasion, say you need to specify particular directories or apps to be backed up, or perhaps you need to obtain particular backup knowledge. Can you do this? You can, but it surely’s a problem. However, with the discharge of Android 12, I consider Google will begin handing a bit extra management over these backups to customers.  Much improved gesture navigation Since inception, I’ve used Android’s gesture navigation. I discover it much more environment friendly and satisfying than the standard methodology of navigating by way of the UI. But, the Android tackle gesture navigation is not good, and it is restricted. Android 12 ought to discover that system to be a lot improved. The finest manner I might see an enchancment can be to provide the app switching gesture a little bit of consideration. As it stands, it’s important to truly take the time to get used to opening the app switcher. I do know some customers who’ve grown so pissed off with that performance, that they disable gesture navigation altogether. How might they repair that? What a couple of fast swipe up from the underside of the show, as a substitute of getting to do a gradual swipe after which a slight proper swipe? I consider gesture-based navigation will see simply sufficient enhancements in Android 12 to make it palatable for the common person. And there you could have it, the predictions I’ve for the Android platform in 2021. How many will come true? Unless you’ve got lastly mastered time journey, the one solution to discover out is to permit 2021 unfold earlier than us. Let’s hope it is a greater yr than the earlier.

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