![\"Sameer](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Sameer-Samat-Google-Headshot-1.jpg\"\/ "\\"Sameer")
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Every year, MWC (Mobile World Congress)<\/a> in Barcelona helps set the tone for the tech industry. It may no longer be the event where the smartphone calendar officially begins \u2014 that distinction now largely belongs to Samsung\u2019s Unpacked \u2014 but it remains a major stage where companies unveil new hardware, showcase emerging ideas, and hint at the direction mobile technology may take in the months ahead.<\/p>\n Of course, Google and Android are at the very center of this business, and on the sidelines of MWC 2026, I sat down with Sameer Samat, President of the Android Ecosystem, to talk about what\u2019s next for the platform. Our conversation ranged from Android\u2019s AI-driven future and the role of Gemini to sideloading concerns and even which phones currently excite the person responsible for guiding the largest operating system in the world.<\/p>\n Android 17 is about doing less \u201cdigital laundry\u201d<\/p>\n Naturally, our conversation began with Android 17<\/a> and what to expect from it. With the next version of Android already taking shape and Google pushing out new betas<\/a> at a steady pace, I asked Samat how he sees the platform evolving as Gemini becomes more agentic and integrated into the operating system.<\/p>\n According to Samat, the shift is bigger than simply adding more AI features.<\/p>\n \u201cI think Android 17 is moving from an operating system to an intelligent system,\u201d he said, reiterating what he recently said during Samsung\u2019s Galaxy Unpacked event.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t want to miss the best from Android Authority?<\/p>\n Google has been steadily integrating Gemini across its products, but Samat suggested the next phase will go deeper by \u201cre-architecting\u201d Android itself so AI can handle tasks more intuitively and naturally.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want our devices and our software to help people do more of what they love to do and less of what feels like digital laundry,\u201d Samat said.<\/p>\n That idea of \u201cdigital laundry\u201d or the repetitive tasks people do on their phones every day is exactly where Google believes agentic AI<\/a> can help.<\/p>\n During our conversation, Samat described several scenarios to illustrate how Gemini could work with Android in the future. A family member had sent him a YouTube video of a recipe and suggested making it for dinner. Instead of manually listing ingredients and opening multiple apps, he asked Gemini to handle it.<\/p>\n \u201cI asked Gemini what the ingredients were and whether it could order them for me. It examined the YouTube video, figured out the ingredients, and made the order happen,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n Android 17 will mark the point where early agentic capabilities begin rolling out more broadly.<\/p>\n This type of automation is something Google announced very recently<\/a>. It will soon launch as a beta feature in the Gemini app for the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, and Samsung Galaxy S26 series<\/a>, allowing users to offload multi-step tasks directly to Gemini.<\/p>\n Samat confirmed that Android 17 will mark the point where early agentic capabilities begin rolling out more broadly across Android, though initially with a limited set of supported apps.<\/p>\n But what about a multi-agent approach? While Gemini is rapidly gaining more powerful agentic capabilities, I asked Samat whether Google might follow Samsung\u2019s lead. The Galaxy S26 series ships with multiple AI agents<\/a>, including Bixby, Gemini, and Perplexity. Could Pixel devices eventually offer a similar mix of AI agents?<\/p>\n \u201cAndroid has always been open,\u201d Samat said, but he noted that \u201cdifferent OEMs have different strategies,\u201d suggesting that while Samsung has chosen to bundle multiple assistants, Google isn\u2019t necessarily pursuing the same approach on Pixel devices.<\/p>\n That said, he acknowledged that the AI assistant space is still in its early stages, and Android will continue to be the platform where many of these ideas and experiments emerge first.<\/p>\n Addressing sideloading concerns<\/p>\n Mishaal Rahman \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n Of course, no conversation about Android\u2019s future today would be complete without discussing sideloading<\/a>.<\/p>\n Recent changes to Android\u2019s app security model, particularly requirements around verifying app identity, have sparked concern among developers and power users who worry the platform could become more restrictive.<\/p>\n Governments around the world have increasingly pushed Google to address the problem of malicious apps.<\/p>\n Samat was clear that Google has no plans to remove sideloading, a stance the company has maintained for much of the past year. However, he noted that governments around the world have increasingly pushed Google to address the problem of malicious apps<\/a>, and Android\u2019s upcoming changes to sideloading are meant to address a growing wave of scams targeting less experienced users.<\/p>\n \u201cSideloading is really important. It\u2019s not going away, and it\u2019s always been a critical part of Android,\u201d Samat said. \u201cI think if you talk to any government in Southeast Asia, in Latin America, or in a number of places, this is a huge topic for their citizens,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Android’s current warning systems aren’t always effective.<\/p>\n At the same time, Samat acknowledged that Android\u2019s current warning systems aren\u2019t always effective when scammers pressure vulnerable users into installing malicious apps.<\/p>\n \u201cThe warnings we currently have are insufficient,\u201d he admitted.<\/p>\n Google\u2019s proposed solution is to verify the identity of developers<\/a> who distribute apps at scale, making it easier to warn users about unknown sources and track malicious actors. At the same time, Samat emphasized that power users will still be able to install apps outside Google\u2019s verification system.<\/p>\n \u201cWe will have a flow that allows more sophisticated users to install software that has not been verified,\u201d Samat said, confirming that this process is still being finalized.<\/p>\n \u201cWe would like to be able to tell the user this app is from this source. Now, that doesn\u2019t mean that the app is safe. The user still has to make decisions. But at least you know who it\u2019s from, and you can decide better \u2014 Do I trust this person, or do I not? That\u2019s very important,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n For Google, the challenge is balancing two core Android principles: openness and safety.<\/p>\n Google previously revealed that the new sideloading flow would be a \u201chigh friction\u201d process<\/a>, but Samat did not share specific details about what it might look like, only that Google is actively working on it and plans to introduce it soon.<\/p>\n For Google, the challenge is balancing two core Android principles: openness and safety, Samat noted.<\/p>\n \u201cIf the platform doesn\u2019t protect vulnerable users, it won\u2019t be successful,\u201d Samat said. \u201cAnd if it doesn\u2019t honor openness, it also won\u2019t be successful,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Foldables, Pixels, and the phones that stand out<\/p>\n Adamya Sharma \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n Eventually, our conversation drifted toward something lighter, and we spoke about the Android phones<\/a> Samat personally finds most exciting right now.<\/p>\n With access to nearly every Android device<\/a> on the market, he\u2019s in a unique position to watch trends across the ecosystem. One of the biggest trends he pointed to is form-factor innovation, particularly with foldables becoming thinner and lighter.<\/p>\n He was carrying a Galaxy Z Fold 7<\/a> during our conversation, which he said he uses for work thanks to its larger screen and multitasking capabilities. Naturally, he also keeps a Pixel on hand.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m also carrying a Pixel 10 Pro \u2014 the small one \u2014 which, especially with MagSafe, is just awesome,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s my weekend phone because it\u2019s so light and the camera\u2019s amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n One of my sons is very fascinated with NothingSameer Samat<\/p>\n Samat also praised Motorola\u2019s recent devices for their materials and colors, and pointed out how Nothing has built a strong following among younger users.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of my sons is very fascinated with Nothing,\u201d he said. \u201cThey do a wonderful job attracting younger consumers.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Android](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Android-Plaza-MWC-2019-records-detail.jpg\"\/ "\\"Android")
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<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Sideloading](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Sideloading-an-Android-app-hero-image-scaled.jpg\"\/ "\\"Sideloading")
<\/p>\n![\"Google](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Google-Pixel-10-Pro-vs-Galaxy-Z-Fold-7-Cover.jpg\"\/ "\\"Google")
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