‘First screenshots of the next version of Android appear online’

The first screenshots of what will presumably be the next version of Android have surfaced online. The images show a new feature in the notification bar and a redesign of Google’s own browser Chrome

The screenshots no longer show a gradient in the status bar and the bar with onscreen buttons. In addition, there is an L-shaped icon that would refer to USB debugging and a bell icon that, according to Android Police, shows that a new function is active. That new feature would be the ‘floating notification’ that takes over part of the screen and the bell would indicate that floating notifications are being suppressed.

Chrome shows a slightly modified design, including three round dots instead of squares for the button on the right side. The login screen is also flatter and simpler. Google will probably announce the new Android version this year. The search giant is holding its developer conference I/O this week, but Google doesn’t always present a new Android version there. The most recent version of Android is currently 4.4.4.

The screenshots were on the issue tracker of Chromium, the open source version of Chrome, but the page has since been taken offline, indicating that the images do indeed show elements that Google does not want to come out. Reddit user Doopl posted the screenshots before Google could take them offline. The screenshots have a resolution of 1280×768 pixels and were probably taken on a Nexus 4. Nevertheless, it is uncertain whether the Nexus 4 will get an update: Google has supported its Nexus devices for eighteen months after its release and the Nexus 4 came out twenty months ago.