Why Android M is what Android L shoud've been.

The first day of Google's annual developer conference brought to us many new things. But perhaps the most exciting of all was Android M. Android M is more of an incremental update rather than a complete overhaul (Like iOS 7 to iOS 8). Android M fixed many of Lollipop's most prominent shortcomings and has finally got some things right.

1. Native Fingerprint Reader Support

This one was long overdue. Not only because Apple has TouchID flawlessly integrated into the iPhone 5S and above and their 2014 iPad line-up, but because Android OEMS are now including fingerprint readers in their phones along with half-baked integration with the software. Also, Google's new Android Pay (the next generation Google Wallet) will support NFC payments authenticated by your fingerprint.

2. Application Permission

 Android has always been poor at managing app permissions. Ever tried installing an app (from the Play Store or sideloading it from an .APK file)? I'm sure you've seen the never ending list of app permissions. You click on agree because well, there's no other way to get the app if you don't want to grant it the permissions. Starting with Android M, in a very iOS like fashion, a pop up wil appear everytime an application wants to access an new serice (like location, microphone, camera, etc)

3. Web link to related application redirection

Ever got a link to a YouTube video and when you click on it, your Android device would take you first to Chrome, then show you if you want to open the video in the YouTube app. Starting with Android M, you will be taken to the app when you click on that app's weblink. 

4. Power management

Android is extremely powerful, no doubt about that. But with great power, comes poor battery life. This is a problem which has plagued every Android device since the HTC Dream! Sure, Android 5.0's Project Volta was there to improve battery life, but Android M takes it up a notch with new feature called 'Doze'. Using sensors inside the device to detect when it has been “set down” for a while, phones and tablets will be able to go into an ultra-low power mode. The device will still be able to provide alerts as they come in, but most of everything else will be “napping” – saving power in the process. When the engineers at Google put Android M on a Nexus 9 it was able to last twice as long in standby than an identically configured Nexus 9 running Lollipop.

5. USB-C support

Android M bring support for the USB-C port and the USB 3.1 standard. Never again will you have to see which side is up because the connector is reversible. But the USB-C connector is also bidirectional. That means you can make your device a host without clunky USB-OTG adaptors.

6. Now on Tap

Google Now has always been one of Android's best features since it featured in Android 4.1 Jelly Bean in 2012. But in 2015, Google Now will get another boost of contextual awareness. Google Now will now be contextually aware. On stage demos included it being used in the Gmail app and I guess Spotify? :P Now on Tap is something im looking forward to using once my phone is updated to Android M.

Honourable mentions:

1. Simplified volume controls

2. New clipboard engine

3. Smart sharing 

4. Improved support for low end hardware

5. Vertically scrolling alphabetical and searchable application drawer