Nexus smartphones have seen many changes over the years, but if this recent leak is to be believed, Google is about to change things up quite a bit. While some of the changes seen here may be welcomed, some are…questionable.
One of the biggest changes with this new launcher for – supposedly – the upcoming Nexus smartphone (or smartphones) is the absence of the very useful search bar. Instead, it will be replaced by a calendar widget, which is…not removable. Needless to say, this will not sit well with those who like to customise their home screen.
However, the search bar can still be accessed by tapping on the tab with a “G” icon at the top left of the home screen. Evidently, the presence of the tab is to encourage users to swipe to the Google Now page, which is meant to show numerous useful information.
Other than that, the app drawer isn’t accessed by the touch of a button anymore. Instead, users will simply have to swipe up from the app dock to get to the complete list of apps. These changes will definitely need some getting use to, but it’s worth noting that this leaked launcher is still a work in progress; other new features such as Google Assistant doesn’t seem to be present yet.
This leak is definitely very convincing, but Android Police – the source of the leak – did mention that things may change in the final release of the launcher. After all, the launcher is still a work in progress. Hopefully, the non-removable calendar widget won’t be in the final release.
(Source: Android Police)
