The Google Now launcher has allowed Android users to give their phones a stock(ish) Android look for a few years, but Google plans on changing things up with the debut of the Pixel and Pixel XL. Sundar Pichai hinted that the new Google smartphones would offer exclusive features, not available on other Android devices. While we’ve seen a few images of the new launcher that will be used on the Pixel phones, we now have a half dozen images to examine, thanks to @LlabTooFeR.
Not a lot of information has been shared about the Pixel Launcher’s functionality, but @LlabTooFeR does describe it as “clean and fluid.” A screenshot of the Pixel Launcher’s settings shows that users will have the option to turn off app suggestions and screen rotations. The third settings option gives users to turn off the display of Google’s app when swiping left from the main home screen. This suggests the panel to the left of the home screen will be at least somewhat different than the Google Now panel that’s available on Google’s current launcher.
The app drawer and homescreen customization screens appear to be unchanged from the Google Now launcher, but you will notice that the app drawer icon on the home screen has bee replaced with an unintrusive arrow which points up. This leaves room for a total of five app icons which can be pinned to the bottom.
With three weeks to go until the rumored launch date of the Pixel and Pixel XL, we expect to see a lot more leaks regarding the exclusive software features which will make their debut of the two phones.
