Google apparently has some big things in store for Android next week, but it seems like all Android users can think about is\u2026 Apple.<\/p>\n
In case you missed it, Google put out a teaser for its next Android Show, hinting at a major Android update it\u2019s calling \u201cone of the biggest ever.\u201d That teaser included a 15-second animated clip of Android\u2019s mascot, \u201cThe Bot,\u201d flicking a light on and off and turning transparent with a slight glow. In normal times, that probably wouldn\u2019t set off people\u2019s alarm bells, but these aren\u2019t normal times\u2014these are Liquid Glass times<\/a>.<\/p>\n Biggest. Android. Updates. Ever. \u2014 Sameer Samat (@ssamat) May 5, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Previous rumors, based on internal builds seen by 9to5Google,<\/a> suggest that Google might adopt some of Apple\u2019s very controversial design aesthetics\u2014namely, bubbly, semitransparent menus and windows \u00e0 la Apple\u2019s iOS 26. If you haven\u2019t been keeping up with the biggest iOS redesign in years, it\u2019s been, uh\u2026 divisive<\/a>. While some people like Liquid Glass, others have slammed it for being difficult to parse visually and for being distracting. Mostly the latter, though.<\/p>\n Given those rumors and teasers, conjecture has been flying\u2014conjecture that Google seems very quick to shut down. Google\u2019s own president of the Android ecosystem, Sameer Samat, even bothered to respond to people on X who are theorizing about a Liquid Glass-esque redesign, saying, \u201cNot happening! Ya\u2019ll are wild.\u201d Here\u2019s another Android employee responsible for community engagement getting in on the action,<\/a> stating, \u201cI know it\u2019s fun to theorize about what we\u2019re gonna announce next week, but uh\u2026 y\u2019all are reading too much into a 15-second teaser video.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite previous\u00a0reports of some kind of\u00a0\u201cglassmorphic\u201d vibe shift in Android, I\u2019m inclined to believe Samat, just because of some other leaks that have surfaced recently. I\u2019m talking about \u201cPixel Glow.\u201d According to leaks from 9to5Google<\/a>, the next Pixel phone will feature notification LEDs on the back to help prevent you from looking at your screen. It sounds like a Google version of Nothing\u2019s Glyph Matrix<\/a>.<\/p>\n If I were a betting man (and I\u2019m not), I\u2019d wager that whatever is shown in this 15-second teaser is probably hinting at some kind of notification glow effect, but it\u2019s difficult to say for sure since I\u2019m not on the Android payroll. Personally, I think it would be a wild move to adopt some kind of Liquid Glass overhaul given just how controversial Apple\u2019s technology has been, but who knows? Maybe Google\u2019s market research tells them that more people should be squinting at their phones.<\/p>\n
The Android Show: I\/O Edition returns May 12 @ 10am PT. \ud83c\udfacYou won’t want to miss it: https:\/\/t.co\/GoHc2IEwzG<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/4C88fpbOa7<\/a><\/p>\n