This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
Google recently unveiled the colorful next chapter in Android aesthetics, dubbed Material 3 Expressive, and it is a return to form for the ultra-popular mobile operating system. After years of Apple stealing headlines by adorning iOS with customization features, Android is finally re-embracing its roots by giving us a fresher new look and more customizability than before.
Material 3 Expressive definitely looks intriguing, borrowing heavily from iOS and many custom Android skins out there, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Android 16 is getting more blur effects all across the system interface, gets refreshed status bar icons that look very similar to the ones in One UI 7 and iOS, has a new 'Recents' view page, enhanced clock personalization and wallpaper effects, and finally, an overhauled quick settings interface.
The revamped design language is arriving later this year, but might be hitting Pixels first as a beta as soon as early June. So far, so good.
Sadly, it's a bit challenging to get excited about this one, and I have a few particular reasons as to why it's concerning.
Not bad at all, but not terribly original either (Image Credit––Google)
Reason #1 - A clear step away from independent design
Juggling between the Android 16 promotional images and screenshots of One UI 7 and the latest iOS 18 reveals that Google has borrowed ideas from both of its "frenemies" in terms of aesthetics and general ideas. That's fine, everyone copies these days––Samsung copies Apple, Apple imitates Samsung and Android, Google reaches everywhere for inspiration, and don't get me started on the numerous China-based phone manufacturers that blend everything together in a hodgepodge mess of features, aesthetics, and functionality.
With Android 16, Google is kind of throwing away some of the uniqueness of its previous Material Design style, which was fairly unique for a while and definitely stood proud with fairly exclusive aesthetics and design language. Now, although the upcoming redesign looks like a logical evolution of this aesthetic, it borrows a bit too much from existing interfaces and loses some of its identity.
I don't know if it's just me, but the promotional images strike me as a bit too childish and colorful, like throwing a packet of Skittles on a kindergarten's floor. It's just a bit too much, and that's slightly concerning, but given that this is Android we're talking here, I'm fairly certain all showcased features would be easily customizable.
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Reason #2 - Blink and you might miss it
The main reason I find it challenging to get excited about Android 16 is the fact that few users will see it in its full glory.
That's because Android 16 as demoed by Google in the promotional videos and screenshots will only arrive on Google's Pixels. What we saw at the Android Show won't be available on your Samsung, or Xiaomi, or Vivo, or Oppo phone, as pretty much any Android manufacturer has its own custom skin that usually doesn't follow Android's stock aesthetics to the T. We've seen time and time again and during previous Android design overhauls that the changes introduced by Google don't necessarily get adopted by the majority of Android vendors out there.
Of course, if you have a Pixel phone, you'd be a happy camper, but with a global market share of 2.03% and US market share of 4.5% as of April 2025, not many consumers will be able to enjoy the new look. Some manufacturers, like Motorola, Asus, and Sony use near-stock iterations of Android, but there's no way of knowing if they will fully adopt Material 3 Expressive themselves.
Great if you have a Pixel, irrelevant otherwise| Image credit — Google
Sure, many Google apps that come standard on Android phones will possibly get updated with Material 3 Expressive, but there's no way of knowing where and what elements will get adopted. This would also clash with the custom Android skins of those manufacturers who opt not to use Material 3 Expressive, which would result in an unappealing melting pod of ideas, executions, and clashing aesthetics.
Overall, I think Android 16's new look will be the exception rather than the rule, which is why I'm hardly holding my breath for it.
Peter, an experienced tech enthusiast at PhoneArena, is captivated by all things mobile. His impartial reviews and proficiency in Android systems offer readers valuable insights. Off-duty, he delves into the latest cryptocurrency trends and enjoys sci-fi and video games.
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