Android P will bring a dramatic new design to the mobile operating system.
According to a report from Bloomberg, Google is looking to shake things up with its annual Android upgrade this year.
Citing unnamed sources, Bloomberg says the all-new look could be designed to “persuade more iPhone users to switch”.
It’s unclear exactly what form this new design will take, however, it seems likely this is a reference to the long-rumoured Material Design 2.
The California-based company unveiled its original Material Design design language back in 2014.
The design principles now permeates across the entire spectrum of Google software, services and apps, including the Chrome web browser, ChomeOS and Android operating systems, Google Photos, and YouTube, to name a few.
Google centred its look around pastel colour palettes, sharp windows, soft lighting, and realistic physics.
However, four years on, it appears Google is ready to make some major changes to its aesthetic.
Code unearthed within Google Chrome hints at some of the changes planned for the cross-device design language, including lighter shades of grey in the interface, and a new focus on touch-friendly interface elements.
It’s unclear whether these will also appear in Android P, which is likely to be unveiled during Google’s annual developer conference, dubbed Google IO.
Google has confirmed it will hold its conference at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California from May 8th to 10th.
According to Bloomberg, the internal codename for Android 9.0 is Pistachio Ice Cream.
If Google stays true to previous years, this will not be the public-facing name announced ahead of release date.
Elsewhere, Bloomberg claims Google will push the integration with its talkative AI helper, Google Assistant, even further in Android P.
Apparently, this will include the ability for third-party developers to integrate Google Assistant within their apps.
Tying requests for Google Assistant into the search bar on the homescreen is also believed to be on the table, but not finalised.