Google has today announced the latest version of Android a little earlier than we expected, with an Android N developer preview now available for those who want to try it out.
In a post on the Android Developers Blog, Dave Burke, VP of Engineering announced the move to release the first developer preview much earlier than would normally be the case in an attempt to get builds into the hands of OEMs as soon as possible while also giving Google itself longer to listen to the feedback of developers.
As is the case with all big Android releases, Android N brings with it a raft of new features that will make this release one that will capture the imagination of Android fans and developers alike. Some of the changes in Android N will be game changers for some, while others will be less important in the grand scheme of things, but all have one thing in common: they’re all going to make Android a better platform in the future.
Let’s take a quick look at some of the bigger additions that will come as part of Android N.
Multi-tasking
Picture-in-picture for video and split-screen for multitasking apps gives Android N a new capability that will come in particularly useful on devices such as tablets or large-screen smartphones. TVs are also in Google’s thoughts here, though the less said about that the better.
Improved Notifications
Called Direct Reply, a new addition to the existing notifications allow users to instantly reply to notifications such as messages in-line without ever having to leave the notification shade. If all you want to do is reply to a message without leaving the app you are currently in, this will be a great addition for you.
There’s also the ability to group notifications by app name now.
Battery Improvements
You can never have enough battery life, but Android N will build on the Doze feature in Marshmallow by saving even more battery power when a device’s screen is turned off. What this means is that whenever the phone display is detected to be turned off, Doze will kick in automatically to save battery.
Memory Improvements
By continuing with Project Svelte, Google is trying to reduce memory usage by making background tasks more efficient. This will have a big impact on devices with a limited amount of memory.
Java 8 Support
This new version of Android supports Java 8, meaning all kinds of wonderful things for developers.
General Improvement and Tweaks
Of course there are many other minor improvements too for overall stability. Remember Night Mode from early preview builds of Marshmallow which Google later scraped in final release? Well it’s back here in N, along with other tweaks to UI here and there.
With Android N still a good way away from being mature, there are likely to be plenty of new things found as people spend time with the first developer preview. Having seen what we have already, though, things are already looking promising for Android N.
(source: Google)
You may also like to check out:
- Download Android N 7.0 Preview For Nexus Devices [Direct Links]
- How To Install Android N Preview OTA Update Via Android Beta Program [The Easy Way]
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