Recently, in their annual developer conference ‘I/O’ at Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California, Google revealed its plans for the upcoming version of Android, nicknamed (for now) Android N. The ‘N’, according to them stands for a sweet treat, just like the names of their previous versions of the OS.
The new version of Android will feature improved graphics, storage and security enhancements and even reduced battery consumption and also features updated emojis, including 72 new ones. In addition to that, Google also made another major announcement; they announced Daydream, a virtual reality platform designed to be compatible with Android phones, which is aimed on bringing various services like YouTube, Play Store, and Street View into the realm of virtual reality clubbed with some external media apps from the streaming platform Netflix and gaming companies like Ubisoft and EA.
Daydream seems like a much upgraded successor of Google’s former VR device ‘Cardboard’. Although the former one could be worked around with any Smartphone, the upcoming one could only be worked on new and updated phones with special sensors and screens. Daydream also promises a smoother and lower-latency experience by just installing the VR update to the phone. Google also released specs that will make a phone Daydream-ready.
Users would likely need Google’s new version of headset and controller.
Google has not kept the news of their VR endeavours a secret as such, as previously many people spotted some or the other news about their VR plans. The price range of the device has not been revealed yet. We just have to wait for the next update.
Google has also revealed the names of the eight hardware partners that will make Daydream-ready phones, namely Samsung, HTC, LG, Xiaomi, Huawei, ZTE, Asus, and Alcatel.