Saturday, May 13, 2017

Google Fuchsia OS: Watch how the Armadillo UI functions; revamped look and feel, app navigation and more


Google’s all new operating system Fuchsia OS made a brief appearance in August last year. Months later more details about the operating system surfaced on the web. Since its second appearance, there has been a lot of buzz around Fuchsia – one that could succeed Google’s iconic Android OS in the future. Earlier this week we came across the screenshots of the interface, dubbed as Armadillo UI. Now, a video gives a sneak peek at how the UI could function. 

The video shows the main features of Armadillo. The video shows the absence of app shortcuts and app drawer. The home screen has a small thumbnail of the user profile at the center. By scrolling up on the home screen, you will see apps which appear in popular format of ‘Stories’, which is currently seen on Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram. Then you can enter into the app you want and expand to full-screen or summon a multi-window by dragging an app. The OS also seems to have integrated Google’s digital assistant, Google Now, showing you suggestions along with a new keyboard app.

In case you are wondering what the user profile thumbnail does, it lets you access quick settings to functions like volume, screen brightness, connectivity modes and more. It also shows details such as your wireless network, battery life, and more information about the mobile phone. The Profile Page will most likely be linked to Gmail account as there is an option to “Log Out” provided. Check out the video here.

Considering Fuchsia is a futuristic concept, it is extremely different from the present operating systems we are used to. Currently, all the operating systems in use, be it Android, iOS or BlackBerry OS are based on apps. Our smartphones are cluttered with apps, each serving a specific purpose. The phones are more app-based than task based. In order to perform a particular task, we rely entirely on apps – it could be a single app or a combination of apps.

While some apps are self integrated, at times it becomes essential to shift between 2-3 apps to perform one function. For example – sending a message is a combination of the SMS app as well as the Contacts app. However, they are both integrated saving the user the need to open two apps at a time. But if the task is more complex – like booking a dinner table, the user has to rely on two or three distinct apps – hunting a restaurant, booking a table (on the second app) and renting a cab (app three). The way forward, according to Google is the integration of all these elements into one basic app. 

With the advancement in artificial intelligence (AI), we are already seeing apps with interlinks and connections. While such methods are raising a lot of questions over privacy and security, having one app that gives it all will resolve the issue.

Previously leaked images of Fuchsia OS have shown us the card like rectangular format on the home page with no space for apps. They have also shown us the ability to multi-task through split screen, using multiple features at once.

The Armadillo UI is considerably different from the present Android and Google in the past has looked at it for a one-stop OS for smartphones, tablets and personal computers. While initially, it was believed that Fuchsia OS is primarily for Tablets, the new demo video shows us how it could replace not just Android for tablets but both, Android and Chrome OS in the future. However, the OS is still in the very initial stages and there’s still a long way to go before we see a Fuchsia OS device out in the market.

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