NEWS
NEWS
NEWS
Google set to unveil Android M with built-in fingerprint support and Android Pay at I/O 2015
In a May 28 update to its I/O 2015 schedule to announce “Android for Work Update” sessions, Google – seemingly accidently as the update has been removed – revealed that it plans to unveil the next iteration of its mobile operating system, Android M, at its annual developer conference next week.
Android M, like Android L which was released at I/O 2014, is likely to be a developer preview and deliver significant changes to Google’s mobile operating system.
As is the case with new products from key vendors, the rumor mill has been churning non-stop with bits and pieces of information that seemingly indicate what Google might include in Android M.
Below are two highly likely Android M features:
Native fingerprint authentication
Buzzfeed has learned – from unidentified sources – that Android M will include native fingerprint authentication to allow users to log into supported apps and services using fingerprint ID instead of passwords.
Ars Technica have also reported that Google was close to including native fingerprint support in Android Lollipop and, given that it has been in the pipeline for so long, it is likely to be included on Android M.
It is worth pointing out that a number of OEMs – Samsung and HTC, among others – have previously included fingerprint recognition in handsets with limited success.
Native fingerprint support in Android may open up numerous new opportunities for app developers and handset manufacturers, especially around Android Pay integration.
Android Pay
In March, Google confirmed rumors that it was working on Android Pay, a new payments API to power in-store and in-app payments for third-party Android apps.
At the time, the company said that Android Pay is an API that will let developers include mobile payment options in their Android apps and not a standalone mobile wallet app. Google Wallet will remain the company’s mobile wallet app and will also make use of the Android Pay API, Google said.
While Google did not reveal a release date for Android Pay at the time, it is widely expected that the search giant will take the wraps off the project at I/O 2015, possibly as part of the Android M release.
Photo credit: Brian Cantoni, Flickr, CC BY 2.0
Since you’re here …
… We’d like to tell you about our mission and how you can help us fulfill it. SiliconANGLE Media Inc.’s business model is based on the intrinsic value of the content, not advertising. Unlike many online publications, we don’t have a paywall or run banner advertising, because we want to keep our journalism open, without influence or the need to chase traffic.The journalism, reporting and commentary on SiliconANGLE — along with live, unscripted video from our Silicon Valley studio and globe-trotting video teams at theCUBE — take a lot of hard work, time and money. Keeping the quality high requires the support of sponsors who are aligned with our vision of ad-free journalism content.
If you like the reporting, video interviews and other ad-free content here, please take a moment to check out a sample of the video content supported by our sponsors, tweet your support, and keep coming back to SiliconANGLE.
