Android’s future as “an intelligent system” with AI automation capabilities is arriving alongside a developer revolt against Google’s tightening control over the platform.
Google’s Sameer Samat took the stage at Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event earlier this week to preview what he called “amazing things” coming in Android 17. The Android Ecosystem President framed the next version as moving “from an operating system to an intelligent system,” promising a platform that “truly understands and works for you.”
That vision includes agentic automation capabilities arriving first on the Galaxy S26 and Pixel 10 series next month. Gemini will handle multi-step tasks like booking rides through Uber, ordering food via Doordash and Grubhub, or building grocery carts. The AI assistant operates apps in a secure virtual window, processing actions in the cloud while users can watch it scroll, tap, and type in real time or continue using their phones normally.
Gemini automation launches when the Galaxy S26 hits stores on March 11, rolling out to Pixel 10 devices later that month. The beta is initially available only in the US and South Korea, with support limited to select apps in food delivery, grocery, and rideshare categories.
Safety measures require users to grant explicit permission before automation appears and prompt manual confirmation for purchases or orders.
While Google pushes forward with AI integration, thirty-seven technology companies, nonprofits, and civil society groups are demanding the company rescind a mandatory developer registration policy set for September 2026 enforcement. Starting then, any developer distributing apps outside Google’s Play Store must register their identity with Google or face having their software blocked on certified Android devices. The registration process requires government-issued identification verification, agreement to Google’s terms of service, and a $25 one-time fee. Organizations including the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Article 19, and F-Droid argue this centralizes control over Android’s ecosystem in ways that threaten free speech, competition, and digital sovereignty.
F-Droid reports that 95% of Android devices outside China are Android Certified, meaning real-time verification would reach virtually every global user outside that market. The coalition contends this gives Google power to disable any app across its entire ecosystem for any reason at any time.
Android 17 itself follows an accelerated release schedule targeting stable launch in June 2026. The continuous Canary channel has replaced Developer Previews entirely, with Platform Stability milestones arriving in March offering final SDK/NDK APIs.
Quarterly Platform Releases will continue through 2026Q3 (“17 QPR1”), 2026Q4 (“17 QPR2”), and 2027Q1 (“17 QPR3”).
Circle to Search also received upgrades at Unpacked, gaining multi-object recognition capabilities across over 580 million Android devices. Users can now select multiple items within images for simultaneous identification and information retrieval.
Scam Detection features expand too, moving from Pixel devices to Samsung’s Phone app on the Galaxy S26 series in the United States, where it's limited to English speakers. The on-device system analyzes call patterns for fraud indicators and alerts users with audio and haptic warnings.
“Android is always where you see the future first,”
Samat concluded his presentation, but that future now includes both advanced AI capabilities and mounting regulatory pressure over platform control.
