Google is rolling out new iconography for the SMS/RCS app, Phone, and Contacts in addition to a few new Messages capabilities.
Update 10/21: Google has begun distributing the new Messages icon, which is in the form of messages.android 20221018 01 RC00.phone.openbeta dynamic. You can sign up for the Wear OS beta right here, and it is also available there.
The light backdrop with the blue symbol is anticipated and looks very uninteresting. Even Google Chat lacks an animated splash screen, and the animation from Google's promotional movie is not present today.
Even with its streamlined identity, the Themed symbol is superior and a little more recognized.
Original 10/20: To indicate that these three icons are associated with the same family of communication-focused apps, they continue to use the same visual language. The primary motif used to illustrate how texting (and phoning) involve at least two users overlapping message bubbles. This looks a lot like the Google Chat logo in green.
Where that overlap occurs, a deeper blue is employed, and two additional lighter blue hues are also in use. As a result, there is a fake impression of depth created by shadows, which is unusual in contemporary Google iconography.
Blue also symbolizes RCS's (Rich Communication Services) default bubble color in the case of the Google Messages icon (also to maintain consistency and user familiarity). Although the overlapped area, particularly at the bottom-left and upper-right, gives the symbol a slightly sloppy and unclean appearance, it is still easily recognized.
While Contacts is simple enough and the new Google Phone app symbol looks fairly great, the lighter blue hues make them appear to be arms rather than the intended object (people side-by-side).
These icons could blend in more if they're put on a light background as opposed to the present icon set's dark blue. Overall, they are more stylized and less realistic.
According to Google, each of these symbols "is designed to adapt to Material You themes" and blend seamlessly with other first-party apps. The Workspace symbols' flatness and absence of shadows are unquestionably present. But there's also the simple color scheme of the YouTube symbol family to consider.