Google's Android M, speculated to be Macadamia Nut Cookie, is now on the spotlight again. This time it's about M's release timeframe and its focus on battery performance as well as RAM. The OS will be run by 2015 LG Nexus 5 and Huawei Nexus 6.
Timeframe and focus
Alleged sources said that Google is planning to roll out a developer preview for Android M, similar to what the company did with Lollipop last year. Its final release is expected to be on August, but it could possibly change, with a delay being in one of the reasons.
The focus of Android M is on battery and RAM, and rumors said that the battery would be the "big focus." Google is reportedly underlining performance and smarter use of features that are possibly draining the device's battery life.
The company was seen urging its own teams to focus on battery performance by reducing location checkins when possible, cut down RAM usage, and trim activity off-charger and when the device's screen is off. This was also assumed to be applied to Google's Play Services package, which others saw as one of the factors why battery is drained fast.
The sources reportedly said that Android M's features will be discussed at Google I/O.
Native fingerprint authentication
On top of these features, Android M is rumored to bring native fingerprint authentication, allowing Nexus users to log in to all supported applications on their devices without having to enter a password.
The fingerprint authentication was supposed to be included in the Nexus 6 by Android Lollipop, with its fingerprint API supporting users to have a "swipe" style fingerprint reader, unlike Apple's stationary fingerprint reader. However, Google reportedly cancelled this feature due to an unsatisfactory fingerprint sensor. Instead the company decided to hide it until a new API is ready. The commit reportedly said, "Hide fingerprint API until new API is ready."
LG Bullhead Google Nexus 5 and Huawei Angler Google Nexuss 6
The Android M is expected to be run by two Nexus devices this year. One will be coming from LG and the other is going to be made by Huawei. LG will be making the 5.2-inch 2015 Nexus 5 having its codename as "LG Bullhead." On the other hand, the 5.7-inch Nexus 6 would be manufactured by Huawei, and is currently bearing the name "Huawei Angler."
As for the release date of the two Google Nexus devices, they are expected to come out around October. Readers should take these with a grain of salt as Google is yet to make official statements about Android M and 2015 Google Nexus.
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