David Singleton, director of Android Wear for Google Inc., speaks during the Google I/O Annual Developers Conference in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Thursday, May 28, 2015. Google Inc. unveiled payment services, security upgrades and access to HBO movies and shows for its popular Android software, seeking to push back against growing competition from rivals such as Apple Inc. [Photo: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images/CFP]
Google Unveils Android M, Android Pay at Annual Developers Conference
Google has introduced its updated android mobile software and a mobile payment system at the company's annual developers conference in San Francisco.
The Android M mobile software features an upgraded version of "Google Now," the voice-activated assistant which competes with Apple's Siri and Microsoft's Cortana.
The mobile operating system also includes support for fingerprint-checking.
It is due for release later this year.
Michael Facemire, Technology Analyst for "Forrester", says the new system gives users more control over what information that apps can access from their Android phones.
"If they can get you to spend more time on your Android phone, more time in Google apps, more time in Google Photos, more time using Google Now and the things they suggest that you might want to do. Now all the sudden, I can get a lot more, a better information about who you are, what you might want to do, what you might want to buy."
Meanwhile, Android Pay, like Apple Pay for iPhones, will allow users to make online and in store purchases with their mobile and wearable devices.
The system will work in more than 700-thousand US retail outlets that accept contactless payments.
Google has not announced the launch date for Android Pay but says it will be available for download on Google Play soon.
The two systems are just part of the new releases Google offered at the conference.
Other highlights include a new photo app Google Photos, improvements on the Android Wear platform as well as a virtual reality system co-launched with action camera maker GoPro.
