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Google releases Developer Preview of Android O

Written By Louie Diangson
Published • March 22nd, 2017
NewsSoftware
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Google has announced the release of the first developer preview of the next version of its mobile OS: Android O. Like with the past OS upgrades, Android O brings a number of new features and APIs for developers to use in their apps. Here are some of them.

Better battery life

Android O wants to put a big priority on improving a user’s battery life and the device’s interactive performance. To do that, the new OS will have additional automatic limits on what apps can do in the background, in the main three areas: implicit broadcasts, background services, and location updates.

More control over notifications

Android O introduces notification channels to let developers give users fine-grained control over different kinds of notifications — users can block or change the behavior of each channel individually, rather than managing all of the app’s notifications together. In addition, there are new visuals and grouping to notifications to make it easier for users to see what’s going on when they have an incoming message or are glancing at the notification shade.

Animated icons

Developers can now integrate their apps better with the device UI through adaptive icons. The system animates interactions with the icons, and them in the launcher, shortcuts, Settings, sharing dialogs, and in the overview screen.

Wide-gamut color for apps

Android developers of imaging apps can now take advantage of new devices that have a wide-gamut color capable display.

Improved connectivity features

Android O now also supports high-quality Bluetooth audio codecs such as LDAC codec. It also has new WiFi features like WiFi Aware, previously known as Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN). On devices with the appropriate hardware, apps and nearby devices can discover and communicate over Wi-Fi without an Internet access point.

Improved keyboard navigation

Android O will bring a more reliable, predictable model for “arrow” and “tab” navigation that aids both developers and end users.

In addition the mentioned features above, there are other features that developers can take advantage of like AAudio API for Pro Audio, WebView enhancements, Java 8 Language APIs and runtime optimizations, and Partner platform contributions.

Android O Developer Preview is currently open for testing on the official Android Emulator and on Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus Player, Pixel, Pixel XL and Pixel C devices.

For more details on Android O Developer Preview, hit the source link below.

source: Android