Currently, Google has a couple of color modes available in stock Android, which are Natural, Boosted and Saturated. But according to code found in the latest Android P beta, there may be an “Automatic” mode coming soon to Android. This does not appear in the current Android P beta’s display settings, but it is only shown in the code for the beta. XDA Developers first spotted the string in the Developer Preview 2 (also known as the first beta) that refers to an “Automatic” color mode, and according to the text in the string, it would adjust between vivid and accurate colors.
This is a color mode that could be pretty impressive on a smartphone. It would also be useful, as sometimes you’ll want a more vivid picture on the display – like when you’re consuming media – while other times you’ll want it to be a bit more natural like when you are editing a photo you took on the phone. Of course, there’s no guarantee that it will work really well, especially right out of the box. It’s pretty much assumed that Google will be using a combination of artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve this feature, similar to the new Adaptive Brightness setting in Android P. It’s also unclear if this will launch with the final version of Android P later this summer. It could be put on a back burner until Android Q next year, depending on how much work is still needed here.
Color modes are not the most popular setting on a smartphone that gets changed, but it is a pretty important setting. It’s one that is needed to make the display look more saturated or more natural, depending on your liking. Google really had to step up its game with temperatures in the Pixel 2 last year, after the many display issues appeared on the Pixel 2 XL. Adding a Boosted and Saturated option effectively fixed the issue, but it’s not surprising to see Google looking to add an “Automatic” option that would also give you a great looking display without needing to adjust the settings.