It is generally accepted that Google is the sole ruler Android, which has the right to influence the course of development of the operating system, but this is not nearly so. Not only does the openness of the platform allow smartphone manufacturers to customize it themselves the way they want, but also third-party companies periodically join Google as part of a project and are improving Android along with it. Of course, this does not happen often, but if it does, it promises the operating system of cardinal changes.
Android will work well on foldable smartphones thanks to Microsoft
The most important thing for those who are too lazy to read the entire text:
- Microsoft has teamed up with Google to create a special version Android for the foldable Surface Duo smartphone, which has not yet been released;
- Microsoft and Google redesigned the OS so that it can work properly on two screens at once (Surface Duo has two screens);
- Android for Surface Duo got native support for new gestures, stylus and learned to recognize the degree of pressure;
- Microsoft and Google reworked the Chromium engine (based on which the Chrome browser is built) so that it can work with two screens at the same time;
- Microsoft leaves all of their work to Google, which can provide them to all manufacturers of foldable smartphones. The first contender is the Galaxy Fold 2.
First Android – smartphone Microsoft
Microsoft very responsible approach to software development for Surface Duo
Microsoft joined Google to collaborate on Android and enhancements to the OS last year. Of course, the companies decided to unite not out of the blue. The reason was the desire Microsoft to enter the market Android – smartphones with the foldable novelty Surface Duo. But due to the design features of the future apparatus Microsoft, she could not independently adapt Android properly and turned to Google for help, offering new ideas and work of her developers as her own contribution.
The merger of Google and Microsoft was beneficial Android, because in the process of working on the project, the parties trained the operating system to work simultaneously with two screens, which is actually quite a non-trivial task. With this feature, Surface Duo users can drag and drop information from one screen to another with a swipe gesture iOS, as well as interact with elements on each screen independently, which should make it easier to multitask.
Stylus support for Android
Surface Duo is unique primarily for its design, which involves working on two displays at once.
Despite the fact that there are several Android smartphones with stylus support on the market, the operating system itself did not support this element by default. However, after joining Microsoft to the project, Google realized that this was an oversight. Therefore, the companies decided to add support for special interfaces to the OS, which will not only allow compatible smartphones to recognize stylus touches, but also determine the degree of pressure. This will allow you to draw, edit images, write and do much of what was previously only available on the Galaxy Note.
Native stylus support will allow the Surface Pen to work in the environment Android more naturally. The pen will be able to respond to different levels of pressure and participate in interface control, for example, when dragging an element from one screen to another. You will also love the gestures that Surface Pen will offer. This is a double tap to capture an image, and a screenshot without touching the smartphone itself, and quick commands to launch the necessary applications like Microsoft Outlook, – explained in Microsoft.
But it is especially important that Microsoft do not mind that third-party manufacturers use its developments in their smartphones. Thus, the new folding machines that will enter the market in the future will definitely use the ideas and mechanisms developed by Google and Microsoft in the joint project. This is actually a big deal, because up to this point, such large corporations have preferred not to merge, but to work alone in order to compete, instead of making the perfect product together.