The developer preview for Android N is only available on Nexus 6, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus 9, Nexus Player and the Pixel C tablet.
Google has released its first developer preview of the upcoming Android N mobile operating system. The company usually introduces developer previews at its annual I/O conference, which is scheduled to be held from May 18 to May 20. The developer preview for Android N is only available on select devices such as Nexus 6, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus 9, Nexus Player and the Pixel C tablet.
One of the major new features in Android N is the inclusion of multi-window support. This feature is available on phones and tablets, and allows users to run two apps side-by-side or one above the other, in splitscreen mode. Users can also resize apps by dragging the divider between the two. The feature will also be available on Android TV, via a picture-in-picture mode. In addition, Google has added new features to the notification system. Users will now be able to reply to SMS or text messages from within the notification interface, and see messages grouped together by the OS. Another new feature is the Data Saver mode, that will allow users reduce the data used by apps running in the background, and even limit data used by apps in the foreground. Android N also improves upon the Doze feature that was introduced in Android Marshmallow. The feature will now save more battery by making background apps run more efficiently, and reducing the operating system’s use of memory.
Google also announced the Android Beta Program that allows users to try out the beta version of Android N. Users will just have to enroll with the program and not worry about flashing their devices. However, the company has warned that those part of this program will receive unstable pre-release versions that may contain errors, which may affect devices. Google hasn’t yet revealed what ‘N’ stands for yet, but in a separate blog post, Hiroshi Lockheimer, Google’s SVP for Android said, “So, the burning question that’s on everyone’s mind: what will the N release be named? We’re nut tellin’ you yet.” Safe to assume that it'll be Nutella?
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