Google Promises More "Glanceable" Information, Better Battery Life on Android and Wear OS

Google has announced a major overhaul for its Android mobile and Wear OS wearable platforms, bringing in a new Material 3 Expressive design that it says will provide "glanceable" information and deeper customization.

"Nearly four years ago, we brought our award-winning Material You design to billions of Android phones and tablets, making them feel more human, approachable and grounded in your needs. Material 3 Expressive builds on Material You, bringing even more customization options so you can truly express yourself," says Google's Mindy Brooks of the upcoming update. "Android is also getting updated dynamic color themes, responsive components and emphasized typography so you can customize your phone to your style and preferences. And we are working to bring these visual choices across Google apps like Google Photos, Fitbit and Gmail."

While Material 3 Expressive is primarily a visual overhaul — with more fluid animations, better haptic feedback, and new color theming options — Google is also positioning it as an improvement in usability. Android's Quick Settings system, for instance, is now more deeply customizable to provide more rapid access to chosen features, while the improvements in notification systems surface what Brooks calls "glanceable, helpful information."

The overhaul extends beyond Android, too, to Wear OS — with new more fluid scrolling animations, more responsive feedback for data entry and media control, and "shape-morphing elements" for smoother transitions. Beyond the eye-candy, though, there are real improvements under the hood: "glanceable buttons," which provide better on-wrist notifications plus Wear OS 6 enhancements that will both improve performance and optimize power usage with Brooks claiming an "up to 10%" improvement in battery life.

The new features will be coming with Android 16 and Wear OS 6 later this year, starting with Google's own Pixel-brand devices.