Google Phone 5.1 Now Available for Download; Brings an Overhauled UI and New Features

Google's flagship Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones are up for pre-orders in the market now, and run on Android 7.1 Nougat. That said, Pixel system images were dumped on last Monday by Android developer and infrequent tipster, LlabTooFeR. While the developers and early system file-dissembling enthusiasts are rummaging through the system dumps, we have now started getting more out of those Pixel system images.

It was not long ago when Pixel's wallpaper was extracted and immediately uploaded to the Internet for users to download. Following a further teardown, the Google Phone dialler app has been extracted from the system files that are quite revealing of the obvious UI changes in Android 7.1 Nougat. As per the revelations made by Android Police in their teardown process, Google Phone app has been updated to version 5.1 and has got an overhaul.

The new Google Phone 5.1 has a new in-call UI that is identical to Google's Duo video calling app. The new interface has a translucent blue screen with new actions for answering and denying the calls. Unlike the previous swipe to left and right directions, you will now see swiping options for up and down directions. Swiping up will answer the call whereas pulling the shaking call icon down will reject the call.

Further detailing the app, the new calling interface seems a tad similar to iOS dialler, with larger buttons and a circular caller ID icon placed at the top. A video posted by Czifra Janos on YouTube shows the complete interaction on the Google Phone 5.1 app.

One of the most significant changes in the new version of the app is the inclusion of the Launcher Shortcuts. Being exclusively available on Pixel launcher, Launcher Shortcuts let you see some parameters or some special action of an app that is also a normal icon shortcut on the homescreen. It is interestingly also available on the Action Launcher 3. The Google Phone 5.1 app shortcut will enable you to make a new contact, a limited feature set that falls short considering the potential of shortcuts already seen on Pixel phones. We're hopeful that Google will add more shortcut features to its app and will make it available for other phones as well.

There may be compatibility issues currently with the new app, but some people have reported that it works on Nexus 5X and 6P running at least Android 6.0 Marshmallow. But, if you interested in trying the Google Phone 5.1 right now, you can download and sideload the app from APKMirror and give it a shot.