It’s been a while since Google tweaked the design and display of Android’s standard status bar icons. However, according to reports from Android permissions That could change soon, as Android 15 introduces an improved status bar and integrates haptic feedback into Quick Settings.
It’s easy to get excited about this, but I think it’s great news if it’s true.
In Android 14, the icons that indicate Wi-Fi and cellular signal strength and battery level are solid blocks filled with white or dark shadows (depending on whether you’re in dark or light mode). , the battery percentage will be displayed. Side if enabled. Although this design is functionally adequate, it is not suitable for checking signal strength at a glance. Also, the battery percentage can look pretty dirty on a neat interface.
Taking a closer look at Android 15, Android Authority pointed out that the next version of Google’s operating system will segment these icons and integrate battery percentage. That is, the signal strength is displayed in individual bars, and the battery percentage is displayed in the battery icon. These are small changes, but they are very useful for people like me who like to get clear information at a glance.
Users of Samsung phones will find One UI adding such an icon on top of Android 14 to be useful. However, there’s something about the way Samsung’s icons are designed that doesn’t make sense to me.
Adopting segmented status bar icons like this means Android 15 may look a lot like iOS 17, but it’s still a good, if boring, addition to what Apple’s phones offer. As an iPhone 15 Pro Max user who can’t deny the experience, I think that’s a good thing. Android can differentiate itself with things like generative AI tools. A UI change like that could tempt me back from iOS to Android.
Hello, Haptics
What caught my attention in Android 15 is the possibility of using haptic feedback in the quick settings panel. On Android smartphones, this means swiping down from the top of the display to bring up the menu.
According to Android Authority, haptic feedback could be used when adjusting the volume slider or long-pressing an icon such as the Bluetooth tile.
It may seem like a trivial adjustment, but the sense of touch is great for fine-tuning the settings that work on a sliding scale, especially when adjusting at speed and when your fingers get in the way at certain levels. Helpful. adjustment. So, combined with the status bar tweaks, it could help Android feel like a more integrated experience, which would get my approval.
Currently, these options must be toggled in Android 15 Developer Preview 2. Although it is publicly available, we do not recommend trying it on your primary phone as the preview is not always the most stable. . Otherwise, we’ll have to wait for the full release of Android 15, which is expected to come with the Google Pixel 9 series later this year, to see if Google actually integrates such tweaks into its mobile OS. .