Android 10 is finally here, and these are the only phones that can use it!

At the Google I/O 2019 Developer Conference, Google officially announced a new version of the Android system, Android Q, also known as Android 10, which is the tenth major version of Android.

Android has now been activated and is running on more than 2.5 billion devices worldwide, and has a majority of the market share on mobile phones.

After more than ten years, what capabilities does Android have now that has evolved to its tenth major version?

New features of Android Q

The most eye-catching of all the new features is, of course, the new gesture operation: the virtual buttons at the bottom are now simplified to a very narrow navigation bar. The operation has also changed to swiping up from the screen to return to the desktop, and swiping a little shorter will enter the multitasking interface after the phone vibrates, and the return operation has become swiping inward from the left and right sides of the screen.

The emergence of new gesture operation means that the Android camp has come to a conclusion on how to operate in the era of full-screen mobile phones, that is, the full-screen gesture that appeared on MIUI. Although it is not completely original, it is easy to operate and learn.

This also means that the "pill" home button operation that briefly appeared on Android 9 will bid farewell to the stage of history after just one year of service. However, it does not have much impact on domestic Android users, as most users have already entered the full-screen gesture operation in advance as mobile phone manufacturers have done.

Another obvious change that can be seen with the naked eye is the global night mode. Previously, the system UI could be turned into a dark night mode. In the global night mode, applications that support the night theme function can also turn dark along with the system. Now we can see the phone, text messages, calendar and other applications turned into dark.

Now that OLED screens are becoming popular on mobile phones, the global night mode can obviously help us use the phone more efficiently and protect our eyes. As for applications that do not yet support night themes, the system has also added a forced darkening function that can directly convert applications to a dark interface.

Further permission management has been introduced in the beta version. Now, like iOS, you can set the permission for apps to obtain location information only when the app is running. This will not only make privacy management more secure, but also curb the power consumption caused by apps accessing location information at will.

The pop-up window for requesting permission notifications also changed the interaction logic, from the original small horizontal area to a large button placed vertically, with the top and bottom buttons distinguishing between permission and rejection, so that the wrong button will not be pressed because it is too close.

When accessing a wireless network, you can set a random MAC address. This way, advertisers cannot track the fixed MAC of your phone, and cannot push customized ads to you based on your preferences when you surf the Internet. Of course, those who want to know where you are from the MAC address will have to find another way.

App notifications have been further simplified. In previous versions, there were app notification groups and very detailed notification settings, but this was a bit confusing for ordinary users. Now it has been changed to three major options: remind me, mute notifications, and block. The rest of the details are left to the system to help complete, which can be said to be very worry-free.

This notification design is similar to the notification storage/silent design in domestic custom systems and iOS, which ensures that app notifications can be received without disturbing daily use. Whether unimportant notifications will be stored or overlapped with app notifications in the official version will depend on future versions.

Theme settings have been added to the developer options, which can modify the system accent color, font, and icon style. Although the system does not yet provide a prominent entrance like wallpaper, it is conceivable that Android will have more convenient and diverse "painless" interface customization functions in the future. For users who want to have more actions in mobile phone personalization, it should be a blessing.

There are also some interactive optimizations. For example, the sharing interface is more user-friendly, which not only speeds up the call-up but also allows direct sharing of links; Wi-Fi passwords can be shared directly via QR codes; shortcuts deleted by swiping on the desktop can also be instantly withdrawn; and installing applications using the installation package will only pop up a small window instead of the previous full screen.

Based on the digital health function, the new system has added a focus mode. As the name implies, by cutting off functions such as application notifications and usage time, you will no longer be distracted by using your phone to focus on your current work. On customized systems, we may be able to see the focus mode localized by domestic manufacturers.

Google also has a small ambition hidden in Android Q: desktop mode. Going one step further on the basis of windowed operation, it allows the phone to connect to the screen to display an independent desktop, and can also allow multiple applications to run in multiple windows at the same time. It seems to have absorbed the design ideas of Windows, as well as the essence of Samsung DeX, Huawei desktop mode, and Hammer.

The emergence of desktop mode hints at Google's ambition to land on the desktop. As for whether this ambition will be the integration of Android and Chrome OS, the re-launch of Android tablets, or whether Pixel 4 will support desktop mode output, we will have a final say this fall.

Android Q also has the opportunity to get a miniaturized AI that can be used offline, which Google has already demonstrated at the conference. Thanks to the local data package compressed to about 500MB, the voice assistant can respond to voice commands quickly and accurately without waiting to communicate with the server. It even supports contextual communication at any time, without having to repeatedly say the shy wake-up word.

Although Google has not yet launched related products, Android Q also adds support for foldable screens. Whether unfolded or folded, the application can be used continuously without interruption, and only the size of the interface changes. However, we are still quite far away from the era of foldable screen phones, and the future is still uncertain.

Upgrade model prediction

After talking about the various new features of Android Q, the next thing people are concerned about is when they can upgrade to the new system.

First of all, there is Google, the leader of the Android camp. Google currently has the Pixel series of mobile phones, which not only have complete Android system features but can also be optimized by Google.

If nothing unexpected happens, the entire Pixel series of mobile phones will be updated along with the official release of Android Q this fall. If you want to experience the official version, you must choose Pixel.

As an important OEM manufacturer in the Android camp, Samsung may push Android Q to its models a little later. According to the time point in previous years, Samsung's second-half flagship Galaxy Note10 will be officially released earlier than Android Q, so this phone will not be pre-installed with the new system.

Judging from Samsung's update speed in recent years, the two 2019 flagships, the Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy S10 series, will be updated, followed by the Galaxy Note9 and Galaxy S9 series. It will not be until the middle of next year that Samsung's A series and other mid-to-low-end phones, which are the main products this year, will officially get Android Q.

Huawei is a relatively active Android manufacturer in providing system updates. Since the release time of the flagship Mate series in the second half of the year is later than the official release of Android Q, the Mate 30 series is expected to be pre-installed with EMUI 10 based on Android Q, and the same applies to subsequent models.

The Kirin 980 processor models such as the Mate 20 series and P30 series are expected to be updated after the Mate 30 series launch conference. The Kirin 970 processor models such as the Mate 10 series and P20 series may have to wait until the second batch. As for older models such as the Mate 9 series and mid-to-low-end products, they will need to wait for specific notifications from Huawei.

Honor's updated models and specific time may be similar to Huawei's. Magic 2, Honor V20, and Honor 20 series models with Kirin 980 processor will receive Android Q updates, while Honor V10, Honor 10 and other Kirin 970 processor models will be updated later. Mid- and low-end models will also have to wait for specific notifications.

In recent years, Xiaomi has been implementing a strategy of providing two major version updates in accordance with Google's requirements for manufacturers. The Xiaomi Mi 9 series and Redmi Note 7 series, which are based on Android 9, and the upcoming Redmi K20 series may be the first models to upgrade to Android Q. Currently, the Xiaomi Mi 9 can already be flashed with the preview version of native Android Q.

Xiaomi Mi 8, Xiaomi Mi MIX 2S and Xiaomi Mi 6X will receive the second major version update, while Xiaomi may update the remaining mid- and low-end phones in later batches.

OPPO has already adapted the Android Q preview version for Reno, and I believe it will also be able to get the official version update based on ColorOS 6 in the future. The Reno 10x Zoom version launched this year and the R17 series launched at the end of last year are also expected to get the new version of Android update.

vivo also has the X27 which can be flashed with the adapted Android Q preview version. In the future, models such as X27 Pro, S1, S1 Pro, iQOO, X23, NEX and NEX dual-screen version may be updated, and according to tradition, they will also be customized based on FuntouchOS.

Meizu is not very enthusiastic about updating to major Android versions, but new models that will be launched in the future are expected to be pre-installed with Android Q, and this year's new flagship Meizu 16s may also be updated.

OnePlus is a brand that is very enthusiastic about updating Android versions. Not long ago, they also provided Android 9 updates for OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T. However, the order of models that will be updated with Android Q in the future may be the upcoming OnePlus 7, OnePlus 7 Pro, OnePlus 6 and OnePlus 6T, and the older OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 5T.

Nubia models that may get the Android Q update are Red Magic 3, Red Magic Mars, Nubia X and Nubia Z18.

Sony's Xperia 1, Xperia XZ3, Xperia XZ2 Premium, Xperia XZ2, Xperia XZ2 Compact, Xperia 10, Xperia 10 Plus and other models launched in the past two years may receive the Android Q update.

HTC used to be a relatively active manufacturer in updating Android versions, but its business has not been doing well in recent years, resulting in the fact that only the U12+, U12, U11+, and U11 Life (Android One) were promised to update to Android 9 last year. However, since the Chinese version of the U12+ has not been updated for a long time, HTC may not have enough time to provide Android Q for older models.

Although Lenovo has not yet returned to being a mainstream mobile phone manufacturer, it will also provide Android updates for its mobile phones. The Z5 Pro GT and Z6 Pro using Snapdragon 855 are expected to receive official Android Q updates.

The international versions of moto's systems are mainly lightly customized versions of Android. The G7 series launched this year, as well as the flagship Z3 and the low-end E series all have the opportunity to get Android Q. The same is true for the moto One series of phones based on Android One.

Nokia also chose a system with little customization, and many of its models have also joined Android One, so models launched in the past two years such as Nokia X71, Nokia 8.1, Nokia X6, etc. have the opportunity to upgrade to Android Q in a relatively short time.

Since Android is not launched by a single manufacturer like iOS, Android phones from different manufacturers cannot be updated at the same time. And due to the customization needs of each manufacturer, the functions and time of system updates may vary slightly.

If you want to experience faster system updates, more complete functions or a phone that is more suitable for your own, you have to think more about it.