Android P Developer Preview Out: Features to Expect in 2018

Google has released the first developer preview version of Android P for testing.

It’s time to talk about the yet to be named Android P version. 

(Photo Courtesy: Google Developer)

Google has released the developer preview of the next Android version, which will be announced at the Google I/O 2018 later this year. We still don’t know whether Google will stick with its tradition of naming it after sweets or desserts, but what we do know is the set of features that users can expect to get on their Android devices this year.

So, what new features will Android P offer? Here’s everything you need to know.

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iPhone X-Like Notch Now Supported

How the notch shows up when Twitter is used on iPhone X. (Photo: The Quint/@2shar)

Yep, that ugly notch which we first saw on the iPhone X is heading to Android devices this year. It’s surprising that after mocking Apple for coming up with the notch idea, Google feels (probably after speaking to phone-makers) that the notch has some relevance in the design ecosystem.

We’ve already seen Asus coming out with an iPhone X replica in the form of ZenFone 5, and it’s possible that the supposed Pixel 3 could also feature the notch (oh, the horror). I still don’t know how they plan to make sense of it, but really hoping phone-makers can do the talking for me.

Improved Notifications

This is what notifications will look like on Android P. (Photo Courtesy: Google) 

Google intends to offer more details (as you can see above), and more importantly, it will integrate smart reply feature to the pop-ups.

Android P Big on Privacy

After Android Oreo, Google has been fool-proofing security at the back end. (Photo: The Quint)

Most Android apps cannot function if users don’t give them access to SMS, camera, Wi-Fi and what not. But with Android P, that's about to change for good. All these sensors will work on idle mode by default, which ensures all path for data transmission between the device and the app maker will be blocked.

Other than that, all apps will get seamlessly integrated to the in-house fingerprint scanner. This way, users will be aware of the apps that support the feature, ensuring less frauds happen.

Phones can Operate Multiple Cameras Simultaneously

Micromax Dual 5 with dual cameras could benefit from this feature. (Photo: The Quint/@2shar)

In order to support the trend of dual cameras on phone these days, Google has decided to come out with an API for developers that’ll allow multiple cameras to operate at the same time. These days you have phones which come with dual cameras at the back, as well as front, and we’re likely to see phones with a trio of cameras at the back as well.

In addition to this, Google will also allow third-party apps to support image stabilisation at the developer level, and also let them include in-display flash feature as well, which we have seen on phones from Vivo and Oppo recently.

Downloading Android P Right Now – You've Been Warned

Pixel 2 XL users can try out Android P Developer version at their own risk. (Photo: The Quint)

The developer preview version isn’t stable, and most features might not work as advertised. These versions are purely made for developers to test it on devices, see its feasible condition and report all bugs to the Google team, which gets fixed before the final version is released.

So, we’d recommend regular phone users to not install the Android P developer version on their regular devices.