Android 11 has arrived, along with some neat Easter eggs, including the option to bring an interactive statue to life with the help of augmented reality. With Google's previous live events spilling the details on Android 11's highly-anticipated release window months before it happened, it is not a total surprise that Google announced its latest mobile operating system this week.
While the latest Android iteration has been available to certain smartphone users for quite some time, it was still in an unfinished beta state. Now that the stable version of Android 11 is here, users can finally see for themselves the improvements and new additions that Google made to its beloved operating system. Its release not only hopes to realize the many upgrades and features it promised, but it also now gives users a chance to interact with a 3D model statue that hides some interesting tidbits on the latest version of Android.
To take part in this latest statue Easter egg, users will need to visit the official Android 11 statue site using an Android smartphone. Once on the page, visitors will see the Android 11 statue along with the option to tap on the “view in 3D” button. However, it's worth noting that the statue can only be viewed in AR space on ARCore supported devices. For example, attempting to access the AR feature on an unsupported device or browser will either lead to an incompatibility warning or to Google's ARCore website. Android phone models that support ARCore include most Google Pixel phones, the Samsung Galaxy S7 and newer, the OnePlus 3T and newer, among others.
Android 11 Statue's Hidden Secrets
Given the hype that Android 11's launch event generated courtesy of a Star Trek legend, it's only fitting for its very own commemorative statue to deliver in the same way. Rotating the statue to its backside reveals highlights of the latest iteration's new features etched behind one of the numbers. Although the statue itself isn't the only star of the show, as Android's iconic mascot frequently pops out of the megalithic piece to take a peek as what's going on.
Furthermore, there's also a piece of paper taped to the side of the Android 11 statue's base that shows a recipe for "RVC." Interestingly enough, the next version would've had a name that starts with “R,” if Google had kept to its trend of naming subsequent versions alphabetically. While Google eventually strayed away from naming the latest Android iterations after sugary treats, this little Easter egg shows what it would be like if the company had opted to keep the tradition going. While red velvet cake certainly sounds more appealing than Android 11, this little tidbit is just one of the many things that separates the latest version of Android from its predecessors.
Source: Android