Google has surprised everyone by releasing the first developer preview of Android 11. The new iteration of Android is now available to download for the developers. The timeline of the new Android version has begun quite early this time around as the company usually releases the first developer preview in the month of March. As of now, Android 11 does not have a ton of features for the consumers but it has added enhanced support for foldable phones, 5G network and more. All this is introduced while keeping the UI elements more or less the same.
As of now, the developer preview is available only for Google Pixel 2, Pixel 3, Pixel 3a and Pixel 4 (XL variants included). The system files, as well as GSI files, are now available on the Android 11 developer preview page. Google has also added that this build is only for developers and it is not stable enough for normal consumers. This particular build might have a ton of bugs and issues.
Aside from the Android 11 Developer Preview 1, the company has also revealed the Android 11 release schedule. The Android 11 Developer Preview 2 and Developer Preview 3 will be released in March and April respectively. For regular Android users, the first Android 11 beta will be rolled out in May followed by a second beta sometime in June. Both Android 11 Beta 3 and the final build are scheduled to come out in Q3, 2020.
As for the features, Android 11 not only brings support for foldable phones but also adds support for a wider range of screen types including punch-hole, teardrop and more. Additionally, the company has now added a dedicated conversations section in the notifications shade, which will allow users to find all the ongoing conversations at one place. The update also brings in the much-awaited Bubbles API on notifications, which Facebook Messenger like chat bubbles to every messaging app.
Google has also added 5G-related improvements along with call screening improvements and Wi-Fi API enhancements. The company has also added a new API that allows users to check if the connection is unmetered and download or stream content at its peak levels.
One of the more interesting features spotted on Android 11 has to be the Bluetooth not turning off while enabling Airplane mode. If you are listening to audio via Bluetooth, when enabling Airplane more, Android 11 will only switch off mobile networks, Wi-Fi and location services.
Apart from this, Android 11 also adds support for sending images from notifications, one-time app permissions and more. As this is just the beginning, we will see a lot more features added to the Android operating system with the upcoming builds of Android 11.
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