The multinational tech giant, Google has released the first developer preview of Android P. This has become an annual tradition since the release of Android N. It allows the developers to get an early access of the latest operating system so that they can develop their apps according to all the new features and interface of the new update. Android P is bringing out plenty of things worth getting excited about. So without further ado, let’s take a look at what’s in the early build.
- The All-New Notification Panel:
Google is taking things in a rounder direction, all the elements and the corners of the notification panel have been rounded off. The Quick Settings icons color accent have also changed, they now show blue color when turned on and switches to gray when turned off. In fully expanded Quick Settings pulldown you will need to scroll horizontally for more settings. Notifications have also received major improvements, you will now be able to see image attachments and stickers directly from the notification. Even more conversation will appear in the notifications and you will also get Google’s smart reply feature, similar to the system currently present in Google Allo.
- Notch Support:
Google has accepted the fact that bezel-less smartphones leave a notch on the display. Android P has been optimized for notch support which means full screen apps with buttons and functionality on the sides will be able to avoid the notch cut out in the display. Notifications will also appear on the right side next to the clock and up to four app icons will appear; if you get more notifications it will simply display a dot to let you know about them which you can see by sliding down the notification tray. Developers can also find different digital notch styles in the settings menu which will help them to test what their apps will look like on a phone with a notch on front.
- Colorful Settings Menu:
The settings menu has been redesigned with rounded and more colorful icons. It looks like Google copied the Substratum Flux Settings theme. Some new icons have also been added but overall the actual layout is the same, only the grayscale icons from Nougat and Oreo are now replaced by the new colorful and rounded icons.
- Redesigned Power Menu And Volume Slider:
The power menu and volume slider have been shrink down and relocated to the right side for easy one hand operation. The new power menu now features a screenshot option beneath the Power Off / Restart pop-up which will capture what is on the screen without the power menu in it. The volume slider also features an arrow icon for toggling between ring, vibrate, and silent ringer.
- Android P’s Dock:
The Dock has been revamped with a cloudy background and shadowy effect to help it stand out from other elements on your desktop. That ought to make it more clear as a thing to swipe up to open the application drawer. A microphone icon has been added to the right side in Google search bar for faster activation of the Google’s Voice Assistant.
- Indoor WiFi Positioning:
Android P is going to make indoor WiFi positioning just as good as the outdoor Maps. It is going to use WiFi Round-Trip-Time (RTT); a feature present in 802.11mc which will allow the apps to figure out how far you are from the WiFi access point you are connected to. This information will be used to give you more precise location of the indoors.
- Multi-Camera Support:
Most flagship smartphones these days have a dual camera setup but only a few of them are programmed to work simultaneously. A new API is added to the OS which will help developers to use multiple cameras at the same time. This will help in creating an even more realistic depth-of-field effect in portrait mode. Google is also adding support for apps to use image stabilization and display-based flash like the built-in camera app on your phone.
So this was all what’s new with Android P, there are several other improvements made in the system which we will cover once the final update rolls out in May. If you are planning to install this initial release on your Pixel device then you must know that it is an unstable, unfinished version of Android with features that might not even make it to the final release of Android P. Stay tuned for more info.