Google has officially released the first developer preview of Android’s next major update called Android P, which will allow app developers to access and test the new software product ahead of its final release.
The search giant released the ‘Android P’ developer preview along with details of the initial set of features and APIs it will bring to the masses and a timeline for future releases. This Android’s next version carries a host of new features over and above the Android Oreo operating system.
The feature set includes built-in support for a notch cutting into the display at the top of the screen; support for WiFi Round-Trip-Time (RTT), in order to improve its location detection capabilities by knowing a users’ indoor location; a wide range of enhancements to notifications across the entire platform; and the ability to access streams from multiple physical cameras simultaneously. It also has a Built-in support for High Dynamic Range (HDR) VP9 Profile 2, HEIF and Media APIs.
The updated Android P operating system will also prevent idle background apps from accessing the camera, microphone, and other SensorManager sensors to improve security. While backing up data, Android now does the encryption on the client device. Thus, the device’s PIN or password is required when restoring backups made on the device.
The second developer preview comes out in May, a third and fourth in June, and a fifth in July, before the final release planned for Q3 2018. Google will share plenty more details about Android P at Google I/O 2018, which begins on May 8th.
