American multinational tech giant Google announced on Tuesday a modern look for the Android operating system. The updates will start appearing on Android devices and other places this year.
The company has moved away from the lowercase stylization of “android” and adopted “Android” with a capital A. It is also updating the Android robot called bugdroid logo to a 3D avatar. Google says that the latest updates took inspiration from the Material Design system to match the tech company’s brand palette, as well as be adaptable.
The new Android stylization is said to add more weight to its appearance when placed next to Google’s logo, creating a balance between the two. “We hope these small but significant updates to the Android typeface will better communicate the relationship between Android devices and the Google apps and services people already know,” Jason Fournier, director of Android consumer brand management said in a blog.
Talking about a makeover given to bugdroid, the visual signifier of Android will now appear with more dimension. Google’s Fournier said the company has further “updated the robot’s full-body appearance to ensure it can easily transition between digital and real-life environments, making it a versatile and reliable companion across channels, platforms and contexts.”
Google acquired Android Inc., the company behind the Android operating system, in 2005. However, the Android operating system is open source, meaning its source code is available for anyone to use and modify. While Google is the primary owner and driving force behind the Android operating system, its development and use extend beyond Google itself, involving a broader community of developers and manufacturers.
“We believe our brand system and how we show up visually to the world as Android should reflect Android’s core ethos of being open, iterative, and inclusive,” Fournier said. Meanwhile, This is not the first time Android is undergoing rebranding. In 2019, Google changed the naming convention for Android releases from dessert names like Android Lollipop, etc. to version numbers like Android 14, making subsequent releases clearer and easier to understand.
