potentials of Android, switching between devices will soon be much simpler.
To make moving between your Android devices a little bit simpler, Google is introducing yet another feature. You will be able to transfer audio content from your automobile to your phone, headphones, phone, and smart home devices depending on your proximity thanks to Media Notifications, which were announced at CES. It is Google’s most recent effort to match Apple’s iOS environment in terms of connectivity and device cohesion.
Because of how easily its products connect, Apple is currently the second-largest smartphone maker in the world and the best-selling brand of smartwatches and wireless earphones. The launch of Media Notifications is Google’s most recent effort to demonstrate that complementary products don’t necessarily need to be produced by the same firm. Google has been working toward this goal for years with the release of features like Phone Hub, Nearby Share, and Fast Pair. Given the increased dominance of Android and iOS in our cars, ears, and wrists, these upgrades are now even more essential.
Erik Kay, Google’s vice president of engineering for Android, said in an exclusive interview with CNET before CES that “this is a continual investment.” Nearly every new feature that appears on a phone or a watch will eventually have built-in multi-device functionality.
One of the first apps to support Media Notifications will be Spotify and YouTube Music. To encourage uniformity among Android devices, Google and Spotify are collaborating to make it easy to manage and play between Spotify Connect devices in the new media player in Android 13.
Google has not yet revealed the launch date or the products that Media Notifications will support. Google asserts that because the goal is to make switching between devices simpler, consumers presumably won’t have to put much effort into the settings menu to activate Media Notifications. As you go near a compatible device, prompts should surface on their own.
Kay explained how Media Notifications will operate: “That all happens naturally through subtle nudges and cues in the user interface.”
As it relies on signals from multiple sources, including Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, Media Notifications won’t need ultra-wideband, a communication standard that has been incorporated into new luxury smartphones during the past three to four years. But if you’re using a UWB-capable device, Kay says it’ll probably work more precisely. It is now simpler to share files and material between devices and use digital car keys thanks to UWB’s inclusion in phones.
Apple uses the same method to direct you to a lost AirTag as well. We are happy about UWB, Kay said. However, it is one of those things that will take some time before becoming widely used in the market.
Before making announcements, Apple has been gradually adding new connectivity features to its ecosystem of iPhones, iPods, AirPods, Apple Watches, and Macs. One of Apple’s most recent operating system updates allowed you to switch FaceTime calls between your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. When Apple unveiled the HomePod Mini in 2021, one of its notable features was the ability to transfer audio from your iPhone to it based on proximity.
But unlike Apple, Google doesn’t promote its first-party devices using features like Media Notifications. Instead, regardless of whether you’re using equipment from one of Google’s other partners like Samsung, JBL, or Samsung, switching between Android devices should feel fluid and straightforward.
Google must strike a balance between promoting its Pixel handsets, which account for a relatively small fraction of the entire smartphone market, and this goal. You may be wondering why Google doesn’t just make features like Media Notifications exclusive to its Pixel phones, Pixel earbuds, and Nest smart home gadgets to set its goods apart from those of its rivals’ Android devices. That would undoubtedly be one method for Google to imitate Apple’s ecosystem strategy.
The answer is straightforward: These improvements are only helpful if they are widely accessible. According to Kay, since every feature you develop has a network impact, it depends on a variety of supporting devices.
There aren’t as many devices for it to work with, so if you develop something and attempt to make it unique to one device, one partner, or even our first-party products, it won’t be as successful.
Phone manufacturers like Apple and Samsung have increased their focus on these auxiliary devices as extra selling factors for their handsets as smartwatches and wireless earbuds have grown in popularity as accessories. According to Counterpoint Research, the number of smartwatches shipped globally increased by 13% in 2022, while according to Canalys, the only category of personal audio products to experience growth in the third quarter of 2022 was true wireless earbuds.
The Pixel Watch, Google’s first wristwatch, was released in October. Google aims to release a new Pixel tablet next year. Google is the most recent manufacturer of smartphones to join this trend. It’s not just about convenience when it comes to improving the interoperability of watches, headphones, and smart home appliances.
Because yearly phone advances seem insignificant, many observers think that accessories like these will play a significant part in the future of smartphones.
In a prior interview on a different topic, Runar Bjrhovde, an analyst with the market research firm Canalys, stated that the next challenge for the smartphone is to ascertain what it will link to next. Even while the smartphone hasn’t exactly realized all of its potentials, I believe it is on the verge of becoming cutting-edge technology.
