Android 17, Gemini Intelligence, and Googlebook: My first impressions 
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Google announced Android 17 and a new line of laptops in a pre-recorded video shown “live” (?) on Tuesday (12th). The Android 17’s highlight is artificial intelligence agents, which has elevated Gemini to “Gemini Intelligence.” The idea of agents performing actions in the background seems appealing to companies. I’m not sure I’d use it. First, because it doesn’t take much effort to create an event in the calendar, for example. Second, because agents require a level of trust that I’m not willing to grant to machines. In the promotional video (which appears at 8:18 in the presentation above), a person takes a photo of a concert poster and sends the image to another person in a text message. Both get excited, and the first person asks Gemini to buy the tickets. Then, Gemini confirms the purchase. How much did those tickets cost? Are they for the premium section? We don’t know! What caught my attention most, however, is Android’s new look. Days after Sameer Samat, head of the Android ecosystem at Google, denied rumors that the system would adopt a Liquid Glass-like look from Apple, “Gemini-infused Material Expressive” appears with a high degree of transparency, just like Liquid Glass, combined with a dark appearance. It reminded me of the much-missed Holo, the visual language of Android 3 and 4, introduced in 2011. It’s kind of like “Holo meets Liquid Glass.” Another noteworthy point is how Google is positioning Gemini Intelligence, as a high-end feature. At various moments throughout the presentation, the phrase “Only on the most advanced Android devices” appeared. Does this mean that popular devices like the Galaxy A and Moto G won’t get the new experience…? The big surprise came at the end: the introduction of Googlebook (33:39). This marks the long-awaited debut of Android in a notebook format, though this detail was revealed almost as a footnote. The whole point of the Googlebook is to bring Gemini to yet another screen. In addition to Google, other manufacturers are expected to launch products with the OS soon: HP, Dell, Lenovo, Acer, and Asus. Will it finally take off this time? It’s important to remember that Google already had the Pixelbook and the Chromebook, two offerings that didn’t catch on. In the case of the Chromebook, it became the “school laptop” almost by accident, since it was cheap and easy to maintain. I wouldn’t spend a penny on a laptop like that, at least not at first, or until it establishes itself. There’s a good chance Google will phase out this product category prematurely. The presentation revealed more features, including some “basic” ones for Android 17, such as tools to discourage users from wasting time on addictive apps (Pause Point), redesigned emojis, and a major overhaul of Android Auto, along with more Gemini-based features, notably the widget creator. Android 17 will first arrive on Pixel and the Galaxy S26 phones, between June and September of this year.