- Google officially unveiled Material 3 Expressive at the Android Show I/O ahead of the official Google I/O.
- Coming with Android 16, it features emotional design, smoother interactions, dynamic colors, and springy animations.
- It is also coming to Pixel watches with the WearOS 6 update, bringing the same design improvements better suited for smartwatches.
For the first time, Google is holding an Android Show: I/O Edition before the official Google I/O, and it’s all about Material 3 Expressive, which is one of the biggest design update in years, coming for Pixel devices later this year with Android 16.
We have already talked about it in previous leaks, but now things are official. Material 3 is based around emotions, while delivering more bubbly and smooth interactions with other UI elements in the OS. This will comprise springy animations, adding a subtle blur to add a sense of depth, “responsive components, and emphasized typography”.
As Google explained in their examples, “when you dismiss a notification, the others next to it subtly respond to your drag. And when you snap it off the stack, you feel a satisfying haptic rumble.” In another example, they talked about how elements will naturally respond to your behavior.
In another set of changes, they have updated the dynamic color scheme. It will be applicable to all Google apps in the coming months. Quick settings on Android 16 is also getting a facelift. So, you’ll be able to squeeze in more tiles in a single page (finally!). Google is also introducing Live Updates. This will help you keep track of your deliveries and progress in real time, like on iOS.
All these goodies aren’t for the Pixel smartphones alone. Wear OS will also get a splash of color with Material 3 Expressive, bringing smoother animations and shape-morphing elements that adapt to the screen size. Along with this, Wear OS 6 will bring dynamic color theming, glanceable buttons that hug the display and stretch across it, and up to 10% improvement in battery life.
As always, you can expect to see these new and exciting changes first on the Pixel smartphone and watches. Without a doubt, what was once supposed to be a dull mid-cycle update is now shaping up to be the biggest one in Android’s history. Are you excited to try out these features on your Pixel? Let us know in the comments below.
