Chrome, Gmail, Drive and Docs Updates for Android

Chrome for Android

The first sign was a Chromium revision log mentioning that Chrome for Android would bring desktop features and Skia 2D graphics support. Chrome later arrived as a beta for Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) phones. It could be installed alongside the stock browser, but it was unlisted, so you could not find it by searching the Play Store on a phone and needed a web link.

Beta features and updates

• The beta channel promised desktop style speed gains of roughly 25 to 30 percent in the Octane benchmark, HTML5 updates such as CSS filtering and updated developer tools. It also let people send feedback, with the risk of bugs.
• Bookmarks sync with a desktop account while the phone’s own bookmarks stay separate. Tabs have animated effects and fling away when closed.
• Version 26.0.1410.26 added password and autofill sync, so passwords and form details such as names and addresses carry over from desktop Chrome. Open tabs from other devices could already be reopened.
• Add to homescreen creates a shortcut to the current page and may open it full screen as a separate app. The New Tab page gained a search bar and most visited sites.
• A later stable build improved scrolling and pinch-to-zoom, used a newer V8 JavaScript engine, kept audio playing in the background and fixed HTML5 issues. Another update fixed problems on certain ROMs.
• A hidden fullscreen mode could be turned on in the beta through chrome://flags by enabling WebGL and running a browser experiment page, removing the omnibox and overlapping the notification bar.

Google’s Sundar Pichai said the beta label would be dropped within weeks, with stability the focus. Flash was not supported, which some users saw as a drawback compared with the stock browser. Early reports also said Chrome worked only on Ice Cream Sandwich devices, and people hoped it would one day replace the stock browser entirely.

Blink and platform rumours

Google announced it would replace WebKit with Blink, a new open source engine based on WebKit. Chrome already used a different architecture, and Google said it could remove 7 build systems and over 4.5 million lines of code across more than 7,000 files. A chrome-plated Android statue at Google’s campus fuelled speculation about a merger with Chrome OS, as did a report that said a preview and release were planned. Google’s chairman then said the two systems would remain separate for a long time because they solve different problems, though more commonality was expected. Sundar Pichai had replaced Andy Rubin as head of Android.

Gmail and Inbox

Gmail 4.2 added pinch to zoom, which you turn on in settings, and swipe to delete in the list. Rich text formatting was still missing. The key point was that Google’s apps now update through the Play Store, so users on 4.0.x did not wait for firmware updates.

A bug caused screen flickering when scrolling and trouble reaching the inbox. Google confirmed it and said a fix was coming quickly.

Inbox by Gmail was a new email client from the Gmail team that needed an invitation at launch. Its features:

• Bundles that group similar messages so you can clear them with one tap.
• Highlights such as flight check-ins, shipping details and photos shown without opening the message.
• Reminders and snooze to bring emails back later, such as next week or when you get home.
• Search that finds things like a flight or an address, with Gmail’s reliability and spam protection.

Docs, Sheets and Drive

The Docs app received a rich text editor on phones and tablets, with real-time viewing of collaborators editing. Phones opened documents straight into editing, while tablets started in reading mode. Spreadsheets kept an editor that works row by row. Standalone Docs and Sheets apps then arrived on Android and iOS, with Slides promised. They show recently edited files and support offline creating and editing, so Drive is no longer the only entry point.

Storage	Before	After the merge
Free	5GB Drive and 10GB Gmail	15GB shared
Paid	25GB at $2.49 per month	That plan ended, so the next is 100GB at $4.99 per month

Google also acquired QuickOffice, whose viewer is preinstalled on many phones. Its better spreadsheet editor hinted at improvements for Drive, though what would happen to the paid Pro HD version was unknown. WhatsApp added Drive backup of chats, voice messages, photos and videos, restorable on a new phone.

Photos, Family Groups and Pebble

• Video stabilization. Google Photos 2.13 lets you pick a video, tap the pen button and select Stabilize. It crops the clip, so quality drops slightly, and the original is kept.
• Family Groups. Share across Photos, Calendar, Keep and YouTube TV with up to six household members, including in Canada. The US Cloud DVR add-on was listed at $47 CAD per month. Play Store content could already be shared with up to 5 members.
• Pebble. A beta of the Pebble Android app with the new appstore (2.0-BETA8) went to developers, with known issues such as pairing errors.