Google's newly announced Android M operating system is not yet released to the public but, according to reports of the tech site Android Police, it will carry a built-in dialer app with visual voicemail features. This will work in a similar way as on an iPhone and will have the purpose to allow users to browse a list of saved and missed voicemails. This way it will become easier to track who has recently been in touch with you.
Google has introduced already to developers a version of the next version of its Android OS, in the same way like last year. This procedure seems to be a standard, since it is very similar to the way Apple introduces it iOS first to developers and only later on to the general public.
From the way Android M will look and function it is obvious that Google has learned something in the past two years about how to improve its new products. According to Google, Android M will be to date the "most polished Android release." And, independent reports coming from the developers' community confirm it is indeed the most polished. That's really something to appreciate, since Lollipop definitely came at launch with some bugs.
Users will be happy to have access to the new features coming with Android M Developer Edition, including better control over user permissions, the possibility to revoke permissions for applications even after they were granted after they are granted, Chrome custom tabs, the open platform Android Pay using host card emulation and NFC working in 700,000 stores in the U.S. and allowing for in-app purchases, official fingerprint reader support directly into Android, better battery life thanks to a smart power management feature called Doze, and USB-C support.
Even though visual voicemail on this impressive list of added new features might look like a small addition, it would solve a slight annoyance. Users of Android have been forced to seek for years third-party solutions for visual voicemail. These apps were typically apps made by various mobile carriers such as AT&T. With Android M users won't need from now on to install extra software for voicemail.
However, it would still be left at the latitude of each individual carrier to support this feature, if Google will make this available. Up to date, only Orange in France provides support for visual voicemail. The good news is that T-Mobile has also announced recently that will offer visual voice mail support in the U.S. starting this fall, after Android M release. For now the new Google new operating system is in beta, so it is still expected that more carriers will come to support it down the road. On iPhone, all major U.S. carriers provide support for visual voicemail on the iPhone. Apple introduced this feature on its iPhones ever since it launched its first model in the year 2007.
On Android M visual voicemail will also be joined by several major system wide improvements. As mentioned above, similar to Apple Pay, Android Pay will enable contactless payments using authentication based on fingerprint sensors, better control over apps access to system features, and better battery life. It is not clear yet what will be official name for Android M.
