Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Gboard builders have been constructing quite a lot of interface adjustments labeled because the “belka” UI.
- These tweaks embrace rounded keyboard corners, new drop shadows beneath keys, and key-press animations.
- It seems that all these adjustments are being ready expressly for Android XR.
Google’s as soon as once more opening Android as much as a brand new class of gadgets, and following efforts like Android TV and Put on OS, final week we noticed the corporate formally announce Android XR. As we stay up for seeing what the primary XR headsets profiting from that software program will do, we’ve been monitoring some early efforts of Android apps to help the brand new platform. Now the most recent we’re placing beneath the microscope is Gboard, as we take into consideration how a keyboard in XR ought to even work.
An APK teardown helps predict options which will arrive on a service sooner or later primarily based on work-in-progress code. Nevertheless, it’s attainable that such predicted options might not make it to a public launch.
Popping the hood of Gboard model 14.8.06.686567880-beta-arm64-v8a, we discover a number of new adjustments all related to what the app’s internally referring to as its “belka” UI. That’s a code identify we haven’t seen earlier than, and whereas we had been initially unclear of the intention behind a few of these interface tweaks, our evaluation means that they’re intimately tied to Android XR.
One of many first you’ll discover is that this new look with rounded corners. Whereas that feels a bit queer on a telephone display like this, with a strong background behind it, it’s going to look way more pure when floating in a digital setting. In actual fact, we already bought an early have a look at practically this exact same format in our hands-on of the Android XR UI:
Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority
We’ve been in a position to set off the rounded-corner keyboard in each mild and darkish mode, however that’s simply the beginning of the adjustments we’re seeing with the Gboard’s “belka” UI. There’s additionally a variant that implements a drop shadow beneath particular person keys. This one’s a lot much less pronounced (and simply the slightest bit foolish) in darkish mode, however there’s nonetheless a model out there.
The rounded corners make sufficient sense for XR, and whereas the shadows don’t essentially really feel XR-specific, their presence right here isn’t an enormous outlier, both. However this subsequent change is simply as curious as it’s unimaginable to disregard: key-press animations.
We nonetheless have plenty of questions in regards to the position the keyboard will even play in Android XR, particularly contemplating its emphasis on voice enter, however on the finish of the day it’s going to want some type of conventional text-entry system. And should you’re not tapping away at keys on a touchscreen, perhaps an animation like this actually may make plenty of sense when it comes to methods to subconsciously sign to the person that they’re efficiently typing.
Actually, although, we’re going to want to maintain digging to get a greater sense at how that is all coming collectively. With the primary Android XR {hardware} set to debut in 2025, it’s solely going to be a matter of time earlier than we get the possibility to see what the keyboard expertise goes to be like on Google’s new platform.
