Android’s new design language seems extraordinarily … gen Z.
That is apparent from the conceptual photographs from the drained weblog publish that appeared as we speak (printed by Google, because it tends to do). Whereas the theme is customizable, Google highlighted pink, purple and coral all through the interface. It’s a youthful decisive design, extra overwhelmed and enjoyable, screaming “Take a look at all this contemporary paint!” and fewer “select from certainly one of these six common shades of blue.” Google weblog additionally confirms urgent to youth name. High-quality; Signing the interface occasionally is an efficient and needed monitoring. Other than the inherent issue of the lily when a bunch of designers tries to quantify the attraction for youth within the labeled “cooling attributes”, I cannot shake the sensation that none of this issues a lot towards the best android impediment in approaching youthful demography: iPhone.
Android is the most well-liked cellular working system on this planet. However right here, within the US, Apple has a stable majority of all of the telephones bought. The numbers are additional tilting to iOS once you have a look at youthful demographies. A 2025 survey from the Piper Sandler funding financial institution experiences that 88 p.c of adolescents have voted an iPhone. A 2023 article in The Wall Road Journal They found that the youngsters who dared to carry an Android telephone to the varsity confronted by teasing as a result of they use what’s seen as a telephone for the aged. It appears that evidently Google wish to do one thing on this regard.
The screenshots from the weblog publish that have been saved by 9to5googleCheck out how Google try seems like to draw younger folks. It’s constructed on supplies, the interface that Google has launched with Android 12, with an emphasis on personalization. It has added the flexibility to vary the colour palette all through your entire system primarily based in your wallpaper, a function that Apple has been kind of copied in iOS 18, with the choice of shading the icons for the house display screen. Materials three pushes much more, mixing in daring fonts, bigger icons and vibrant colours.

Posting on the drained weblog calls on the fabric three “probably the most researched replace on the Google Design System. Google’s posting says that he has carried out 46 research that take a look at his new fashions, with over 18,000 contributors. “Whereas there was a constructive internet indication on all age teams, youthful examine contributors had probably the most enthusiastic choice for M3 Expressive and likewise the analysis of initiatives as excessive within the visible subject and the intention to make use of,” Put up mentioned.
It isn’t all about youth. Additionally it is mentioned, “… with expressive variations, we see an elimination of the age results within the fixing occasions, serving to customers over 45 years previous to make equal to their youthful counterparts.” Allow us to solely do not forget that anybody who’s 45 years previous has most likely held a smartphone greater than “youthful counterparts” have been alive and I feel they discovered the sending button by E -E-mail, however I respect the consideration.
Google researchers have had contributors to judge design for sure attributes, together with these “cooling attributes” comparable to “stand aside” and “fascinating”. Nice! What the hell does that imply?
Apparently, Google believes that it’s an indicator that folks might truly be keen to go to Android primarily based on these fashions. “I additionally noticed that this coolness is just not solely a worth of self-importance, however a constructive engine of behavioral intention, which signifies that customers usually tend to transfer on to a product with this design.”

Picture: Google / 9to5google
There’s solely a lot Google. No quantity of vibrant coloration therapies and “fascinating” icons will change the truth that an Android proprietor continues to be a inexperienced bubble in group chat.
Apple is aware of that blocking folks in Imessage is a large consider holding them within the ecosystem, particularly with the telephones that folks give their youngsters. RCS has made the a number of a number of chats rather more bearable, however we aren’t even on the parity of the characteristics-those bubbles are nonetheless inexperienced.
Truthfully, I don’t hate materials three and I lean in a design that appears so completely different from iOS hits me as a greater concept than doing an iOS know. However, a minimum of on the American market, an Apple determination to open immesage and facetime would do extra to stimulate Android gross sales than something can dream of Google.
Is it appropriate? In no way, and the regulatory authorities try to do one thing on this regard. Ui shine doesn’t harm, however I do not suppose it is a scenario that Google can design.