10 Things About Google's New Android Design That Will Have iPhone Owners Drooling With Jealousy

If you're an avid Android user, your phone's software is about to look a whole lot different in the next few months.

Google is billing the redesigned user interface as the key feature in its next major mobile software update, Android L. 

With Android L, Google is introducing some aesthetic tweaks as part of its Material Design overhaul.

Material Design is a sleek, neat, and colorful new interface that's meant to make the user experience seamless across devices on all screens — whether you're using a smartwatch, phone, or tablet. 

In addition to a leaner overall look, Material Design adds a few subtle nuances that make the Android experience seem more interactive and visually pleasing. 

Google says it studied paper and ink to achieve the shadowed and textured look you'll find in Android L. 

Here are some of the best visual components Android users have to look forward to. 

A big part of Material Design is the way colors are portrayed. Google developed a color palette specifically to highlight shades and tints, which adds more life to user interface elements.

Notice how the generic form above is highlighted in purple and looks slightly larger than the rest. That effect is meant to draw your eye to information that's more important, such as the title in this case. 

App icons in Android L are based on geometric shapes, which make them pop and appear more symmetrical.

 

Google says that Material Design is based on the same design principles as paper. This means app icons are designed to rise up when you tap them rather than sink down.