No matter how you slice it, Android allows the most tinkering and twisting out of all the mobile operating systems floating out there. Take its famed multitasking, for instance, which queues tens of open apps in the background, so you can freely pick, choose and swap between them.
Or take its widget system, which can put every app action you need on the homescreens, so you can even forget that the app drawer existed. Well, iOS has a similar multitasking now, and it performs pretty well on the new iPhones, not to mention that Apple opened the notification center for 3rd party widgets of sorts. Even Windows Phone is rumored to introduce split-screen multitasking built into the core. What's a Google to do then?
Well, judging from this leaked demo, and some rumors flying around, Android L might introduce something similar to Samsung's Multi-window, or LG's Dual Window modes, or at the very least something in the realm of Sony's Small Apps suite, LG's Qslide, or Samsung's Pop-up view mode. The first one splits the screen in two, so you can run separate apps at once, while the second hovers the apps in small windows over the top of the interface, so you can use your calculator or notes while browsing a website, for instance.
That second scenario, with the floating apps, seems to be what's running on a Nexus 7 tablet in a video posted by the source link below, and the windowed apps are the default Google+ and Photos ones, suggesting that this feature might be built into Android L, and ultimately make its way on each and every phone running the latest Android version. Ot, alternatively, it might be just a bug, and we are all getting worked up for nothing, we'll see next week, when Google and HTC are supposed to take the stage, and announce the availability of Android L, first on the alleged Nexus 9 tablet, and then rolling all over the green robot universe.
Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.
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