INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Google's Android P update is one step closer to launching now that Google IO 2018 is underway and the keynote should give us more clues
about its features.We're expected Android P Developer Preview 2 to launch, as Google's official release date timeline calls for an early May
timetable for the next beta software update.The first version of its operating system upgrade is now available for developers as well as
those curious enough to check out some unfinished software.It builds on 2017's Android Oreo update by focusing on overhauling the visual
Of course, Google is bound to still make countless more changes and improvements in the coming months.Looking to download Android P for
yourself You'll need one of four phones currently supported: the Google Pixel, Google Pixel XL, Google Pixel 2 or Google Pixel 2 XL
More devices will support the software shortly after its final release, like the Google Pixel 3, but if you want beta access, going Google
is the only option.We'll add new information to this article as we hear it, including what the Android P name could stand for, but while we
wait for more official info, we’ve also come up with a list of things we want from Android P – because as good as Android Oreo is
there’s always room for more improvement.Cut to the chaseWhat is it The next version of AndroidWhen is it out Probably August 2018How much
will it cost It will be a free updateAndroid P release dateGoogle brought out the first developer preview of Android P in early March 2018,
and we expect to see Developer Preview 2 at the Google IO keynote.The cadence of beta updates will pick up, according to Google's vague
release date timeline, with the final version of the software due to launch in August 2018, one year after Android Oreo landed.Of course, it
will be available first for the Google phones listed above, but it will also likely make its retail debut in the Google Pixel 3 nearing the
year's end.Android P newsAs we get closer to the release of Android P, some new features are starting to pop up
Recently, a feature cropped up that will let Android P remember the preferred volume that you use in your Bluetooth devices.This small, but
important feature will make certain that your music or podcasts are played neither too loud or quietly.Android P first impressionsAfter the
trial and error that always comes with the delicate process of flashing a smartphone, we finally have Android P loaded onto a Google Pixel
It didn't take long for us to notice a few small, but appreciable tweaks to the visuals from the initial setup screen.Text is more sharp,
there's generally more color in the menus, transition animations have been touched up, and some stuff has been moved around
It looks and feels fresh, even in this very early software build.Looking for the time It's now on the top left corner of the screen
App notification icons pile next to it, which could get dicey if A.) you use a lot of apps, or B.) your next Android phone has a notch
(Google has planned ahead for this, thankfully.) The Pixel Launcher now has a rounded-off edge, matching the look of notification windows
that you see when you wake up your phone
This is obviously a minor touch, but it plays into the overall look that Google is going for with P. You'll have to squint to notice this
welcome improvementAmbient Display has been overhauled, at least compared to what came before it on Pixel XL and what currently exists on
the latest Pixel 2 XL Oreo software
The date and day of week no longer display underneath the time, but it still displays app notification icons. The biggest change here is
that down at the screen's bottom, it displays the battery percentage, so that you don't have to wake it to know whether you need to plug in
We look forward to Google making more updates to Ambient Display as the dev preview continues.Image 3 of 3iPhone X-sized notchBuried in the
display settings, the preview allows developers, and by extension, us and anyone else who installs the preview, to simulate a notch on their
Offering three different notch options, Google lets developers test their apps using a hypothetical notch before more devices with the
feature release, which will inevitably happen
I'm sure some people will leave this feature on for fun, but it looks pretty silly on the Pixel XL's humongous bezels
Plus, seeing app notifications hiding because there's no more space Not so much fun at all, really.We're still digging around Android P and
will be installing new updates as they come, so stay tuned.What we want to seeAndroid is in quite a polished state by this point, but there
are always improvements that can be made, such as the following things.1
Wider, faster availabilityAndroid has long had a fragmentation problem, with many devices stuck on very old versions and even those which
will ultimately get the latest release often taking many months to do so.With Android P we’d like to see Google push to get the update on
This is largely in the hands of manufacturers, but Google might be able to do something to help.In fact, Google is already working on this
somewhat with Project Treble, a feature which should mean it’s less work for manufacturers to update their devices.It remains to be seen
how much difference that will make, but we’re sure there’s more that could be done in any case.2
Movable search bar and date widgetsNot everyone wants the same layout, hopefully Android P will address thatOne of the things we typically
praise about stock Android is that it’s free of bloat, but that can also mean it’s light on features, such as the ability to move the
search bar and date widget.They are currently glued to the bottom and top of the home screen respectively in the stock version of Android
Oreo.Most people will probably be happy with that, but we’d like the ability to move them anywhere on the screen with Android P, like you
More customizationOn a related note, we’d love to see more customization potential in general with Android P.Some third-party launchers
let you customize gestures, screen transitions and the like, but for the most part what you see is what you get with Android Oreo.There’s
nothing stopping you switching the stock launcher for a third-party one to gain those options, but then you lose the Oreo look and feel, so
for Android P we want more customization built-in.4
Make the Pixel Launcher available on all devicesPixel Launcher is a slick take on Android that we want to see on more devicesWhile your
device may get Android Oreo, it probably won’t get it as Google intended unless it’s a Pixel phone, so we’d like to see the Pixel
Launcher made available for third-party handsets too, so users can choose between Google’s take on Android and that of their device’s
manufacturer.The Pixel Launcher is actually available on Google Play, but only for Google’s own devices, so with Android P we’d like to
see its availability and compatibility widened.5
Feature parityEven once you get a new version of Android on your device, you won’t necessarily get all the features straight away.For
example, Google Assistant took a while to arrive on many devices even once they had Android Nougat, and Google Lens doesn’t come as part
of the core Android Oreo update.With Android P we’d like to see any and all features, especially big ones like those above, be made
available for all devices running the software and to come as part of the core Android P update.6
Picture-in-picture for every appPicture-in-picture is handy, but only works with a few appsPicture-in-picture is one of the big new features
of Android Oreo, but it’s actually quite limited, with many apps not supporting it.That may well change over time, but if it’s not fixed
as part of Oreo we want to see it available for most or all video apps as part of Android P.7
A focus on tabletsWhile Android is great on phones, there’s a sense that less focus has been put on the tablet experience in recent years,
and that’s all the more noticeable now that Apple has launched the tablet-focused iOS 11.Google could learn from this, and we’d like to
see it add the likes of system-wide drag-and-drop and more native tablet apps with Android P
Bringing Google Assistant to tablets wouldn’t hurt either.We also have a wish list for Wear OS9nr8Hai8cQYfTR9nP6QXZM.jpg#
