Google has released the first developer preview of Android P, the newest version of Android. Currently, the Android P Developer preview is only available for Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. For the first time, Google has not included any Nexus devices in the developer preview program. Those who own a Pixel device can download and flash the preview system image from here. Installing a system image on a device removes all data from the device. So take a full backup of your smartphone, if you are planning to install Android P.
Make a note that, this initial release is for developers only and not intended for daily or consumer use. Google has also confirmed that enrolling in updates using the Android Beta Program is not supported in developer preview 1. Enrollment program will be open once the product is closer to the final release.The Android P developer preview runs from 8th March until July 2018 and the final release planned for Q3 2018.
Android P Developer Preview Highlights
- Indoor positioning with Wi-Fi RTT – Measure the distance to nearby WiFi Access Points
- Display cutout (Notch) support
- Improved messaging notifications – Show conversations, Attach photos, stickers, and Smart replies right from the notification panel
- Dual camera support for Apps
- Image Decoder for bitmaps and drawables
- Data cost sensitivity in Job scheduler
- Neural Networks API 1.1 – Accelerate on-device machine learning
- Autofill improvements
- Open Mobile API for NFC payments and secure transactions
- Improved Security for apps – New FingerprintDialog API
- Enhanced privacy – Restricts access to the mic, camera, and sensors from Idle apps
- Encryption of Android backups
- ART performance and Optimized Kotlin
- Refined Doze, App Standby, and Background Limits for improved battery life
- Unified fingerprint authentication dialog