Android 12 Leak Reveals Major UI Overhaul as Italy Fines Google €102m for Abuse of Dominant Position

The interface of the new Android 12 has been revealed in a leak just few days before its official presentation to annual developers’ conference, Google I/O. The operating system UI is expected to greatly evolve with this new version of the OS and the leaked images appear to support this idea.

From May 18 to 20, 2021, the annual Google I/O conference will be held, during which the firm, headquartered at Mountain View, will announce several products and present new software for its various services and interfaces.

Android will hold pride of place on this occasion, as usual, with the landmark official introduction of Android 12 this year. But Front Page Tech, the media of renowned leaker Jon Prosser, has pulled the rug out from under Google and released a video in which we can see the brand new interface of the mobile operating system.9

The new features of Android 12 revolve around three main areas: a “great new experience, enhanced security and privacy protections “ to enusre “all your devices [which] interact better together.” For these last two points, details are still sparse, but when it comes to the user interface, this leak is generous in information.

Android 12, focus on the interface

As can be seen in the above clip, Android 12 has a new widget for controlling the playback of audio files from the notification bar. The buttons for activating and deactivating Wi-Fi have also been substantially modified.

There are also changes to the weather widgets and the clock, as well as the volume control tool, among many other minor changes, and new animations. With this complete shift to new dimension, it appears that Android’s design might be getting its deepest overhaul in several years.

Also on the change agenda are grouping notifications between applications (that is, a single bar grouping all notifications from messaging apps for example) and a new lock screen. The full package will be unveiled starting tomorrow at the Google I/O, which will give users better insight into what the newest operating system has to offer.

Italy fines Google for Misuse of Position of Dominance

The Italian competition authority has sanctioned Google with a heavy fine for refusing to make the JuicePass tool interoperable with the American giant’s application store.

Tech giants, Google, have been once again disciplined by Italy’s patrols for yet another abuse of dominance. The owners of the two most visited sites in the world were fined by the Italian Competition Authority (Autorita ‘Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato) to a tune of 102 million euros for having violated Article 102 of the Treaty on the functioning of the European Union (TFEU) on abusive practices.

Google has Voluntarily Favoured its Applications

In making their decision, the Italian competition police first pointed out the hierarchical advantage of Google in the market. The authority stated that thanks to its Android mobile operating system and the Google Play store, the company occupies a dominant position “which allows it to control the access of application developers to end users.” This, in the eyes of the authorities, is a blot in a country where 75% of users brandish an Android device.

In detail, the Italian authority accused Google of having prevented the JuicePass application from accessing AndroidAuto, the famous intelligent traveling companion.

Android Auto is a mobile app developed by Google to mirror features of an Android device, such as a smartphone, on a car’s dashboard information and entertainment head unit.

The JuicePass application, which makes it possible, in particular, to locate charging stations for electric vehicles, has allegedly been blacklisted by Google. The JuicePass tool is developed by the company Enel X Italia, a subsidiary of the local electricity giant, Enel.

Investigations revealed that Google has blocked JuicePass from accessing AndroidAuto for two years, which has “unfairly limited the possibilities for users to use the Enel X Italia app while driving an electric vehicle or for the recharge of the latter.” In nepotistic behaviour, Google has favoured its own Google Maps application which can be used on AndroidAuto, to the detriment of JuicePass.

A Marked Abuse of a Dominant Position 

In addition to characterizing antitrust behavior, the Italian competition authority emphasized the long-term implication of Google’s actions. According to them, Google could definitively jeopardize the chances of Enel X Italia building a concrete user base, as the electric vehicle market is currently in a growth phase.

In addition to the fine of 102 million euros, the gendarme gave notice to Google to put an end to the abuse and to limit the harmful effects against the application of Enel X on AndroidAuto. It thus asked the Mountain View firm to make its interoperability with AndroidAuto available to Enel X Italia (and other developers).

The authority pledged to directly ensure the proper application of the terms of this formal notice.