Google's flagship smartphones, the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, have recently seen the resurrection of the interactive 'Horizon' live wallpaper, much to the joy of their user base. The feature was noticeably absent at these devices' roll-out, but thankfully, it has now made its triumphant return.
This restoration journey starts with the Pixel 6a, the smartphone model which laid the groundwork for the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro. Interestingly, in the collection of Living Universe backgrounds, the 'Horizon' wallpaper was nowhere to be found. Battery-centric at its core, 'Horizon' reflects the charge status of the phone through stunning solar-related animations: the sun ascends as the phone charges, and descends as the battery discharges.
While the series offered a plethora of wallpaper designs, the 'Horizon' theme, first introduced in the premier Pixel smartphone in 2016, was conspicuous in its absence. This perplexed many, as the reason behind this exclusion remained unclear.
However, a recent server-side update has seen the 'Horizon' live wallpaper make its anticipated comeback on both the Pixel 7 (running Android 13) and the 7 Pro model operating on Android 14 Beta 3.1. This rectification has been well received by Pixel supporters, as 'Horizon's' ambient display of the battery state has always been a crowd favorite.
Looking forward to the future, the forthcoming Pixel 8 and 8 Pro are expected to flaunt mineral-themed wallpapers. On a similar note, the Pixel Tablet currently features the Living Universe collection under its 'Wallpaper & Style' section but offers only a set of eight out of the range.
Surely, the return of the 'Horizon' live wallpaper showcases Google's commitment to enhancing user experience. Furthermore, it opens up opportunities for other platforms, such as AppMaster, a prominent no-code platform, to provide advanced interactive features in their product offerings.
