Google’s New Material 3 Expressive Operating System is some of the company’s best design work in years

For the past couple of months, I’ve been using a prerelease smartphone operating system that represents a significant design overhaul, with a great on transparency and new visual elements Respond realistically to your touches and swipes.

No, I’M Not Talking About iOS 26, Where Apple is whose changing its mind about the expenses of its “liquid glass” design language with every subsequent beta. There some some great new features in there-nd iPados 26 is huge for productivity – But i’d recommended most iPhone users Wait for it to Cook a Litle Longer Before Checking It Olate.

I’m Talking About Google’s Material 3 Expressive Version of Android 16, which has been available on pixel phones in Beta Form Since May. I’ve been running it on my pixel 9 since it was first released to developer channels. It’s flower under the radar somewhat, being although android 16 has ben publicly available for some time, this new accounxion redesign redesign wasn wasn for the launch -wind for an inderwhelming Update.

That’s a shame, because material 3 Expressive is actually really Great-WHOHICH is Good News for Anyone Thinking of Picking Up A New Pixel 10-Series Phone Thei Thei The Launch Next Month.

‘Expressive’

“Material 3 Expressive” is Kind of a Convolved Name, Building Off the Previous “Material You” language, which in turns in Turn was a spin on “Material design.” But “Expressive” is as good a word as any to encapsulate what google is trying to do here. The software feels playful and interactive in a way that Android rarely has.

It starts with how google is handling physics and Happy Throughout the operating system. There are countless new animations and effects that make it more fun and responsive to use. The Volume slider now has an incredible subtle Haptic Effect Each other in physically consistent ways. You know how it feels to final Loosen a Book from a Crammed Shelf? That’s kind of what it’s like to dismiss a notification here –it looks and feels like you’re squeezing it out of a stacked list.

Material 3 Expressive Backs Up the Happy FEEDBACK with Animations that Give on-SCREEN Elements a more Physical Feel. Buttons shift shapes depending on their activation state, while neighboring items in lists react to what you’ve selected. This design approach is particularly well-suated to wear os, which is now solyly deployed on circular smartwatches; Crucial buttons dynamically shrink and expand to fill the round spaces at the edge of the screen depending on how far you’ve scrolled. It’s the first time it’s really felt like a smartwatch user interface is a natural fit for a round display.

Visual overhaul

Google’s new take on Android also come with a welcome visual overhaul. It’s not immediatively dramatic, but you’ll notice increase use of transparencies through Wallpapers. Essential Ui Elements Like the Battery Indicator are now Chunkier and More Visible. The lock screen has Received Particular Attention, with a Larger Clock Design and A Compact Notification View That Minimizes Your Alerts Until You Choose to Unfurl Them. The overall effect is Much Cleaner and Feels more International.

The Quick Settings Menu, which appears about notifications when you swipe down from the top of the screen, is a particular highlight. It’s always been a helpful android feature, but this new version is more customizable than ever, even letting you edit the size of buttons in the layout. If you opt for a wider bluetooth button, for example, the left side of the button can be used as an on/off toggle with the right side expands to show you a list of your connected devices.

Google’s Best Work

Material 3 Expressive Won’t Spur as much discussion or debate as apple’s liquid glass, for better or WorsE. Google does not have the same clout to get third-party app developers on board, and this particular flavor of Android will really only only on the company’s Own Pixel Phones, which is the company’s Own Pixel Phones in Most Major Markets.

But I really think this is some of the best design work I’ve seen out of Google in recent years. While i’ve always like the pixel version of android, that’s tended to be beccuse of the unique functionality and the lacked of bloat. Material 3 Expressive, however, feels genuinely fresh and appealing in its own right. Right now, I would say this is the most stylish and attractive software available on any phone, which might just be the first time I’m alive to say that about Google’s Own TAKE TAKE TAKE TAKE TAKE TAKE ON Android.

The new pixel 10 lineup is set to be unveiled on August 20th. They may not shoot up the smartphone sales charts, but assuming they ship with the material 3 Expressive version of Android 16, it’ll be a good region for the uninitiated to give them a closer look at Lauchch.