It is yet to get its name but the excitement around Android P is getting more intense each day. To begin with the good news, Google has just announced the near final version of Android P which is a Beta 3, just a month after its Beta 2 version. The Beta 3 is a more matured version with bug fixes and more stability and robustness. In short, Google is adding the finishing touches to Android P which is going to be a very optimized and modern embodiment of what an intelligent and optimized OS might look like. According to a blog post announcement made by Android P VP of Engineering, Dave Burke, ‘Beta 3 now takes us very close to what you’ll see in the final version of Android P.”
The new Beta version comes with completed APIs which will enable app developers to create applications based on Android P platform, making it palatable for the new OS. Google will soon host a Reddit AMA on July 19 to address developer questions.
The new Android P is high on machine learning algorithms to make it more intelligent, simple and digitally enhanced. During Google I/O 2018 keynote, the company talked about the distinguishing features of Android P that will set itself apart.
Let look at some of its defining features and why Android P is different.
Digital Smartness
This OS takes the purpose of phone dashboards all to another level. To start with you get Android Dashboard, its job is to keep a tab on your phone usage and create a nuanced approach towards managing your smartphone. For example, it lets you know the number of time you locked your phone, the apps you used and the number of notifications you received. It gives you the control on how and when you use your phone.
Then there is Slush Gesture, which enables Do Not Disturb mode when you over turn your phone. The Wind Down Mode is a digital lullaby which helps you to put to sleep. The App Timer is more like your teacher and suggests how much time you should be spending with a certain app. It will coax you to stop using an app when the right time approaches.
Ease of Use
Android P comes with a total make over on navigating your smartphone. Might sound iffy in first place but the goal is not to baffle you but simplify your phone experience. To begin with, forget the home, back and multitasking button that you are used to in your phone. Welcome the Quick Scrub, which is a long Home Screen line and sliding it helps you looking for open apps. You can also swipe up the Home button to look for open apps. Hold the Quick Scrub a little longer and you will open the Google Assistant. The Quick Scrub opens in any app. When you access the open apps, they appear as cards stacked side by side and you can either toggle left or right to access the apps you want to. You can also copy and paste whatever you like from app to app without opening them and just merely toggling through the app cards.
Intelligent OS
Creating intelligent software perhaps is now the biggest goal of tech companies and OS is the foremost place to bestow them and experience what wonders they can do. Manage apps as you are needing to use them and turn off background app actions to better use the battery. This feature is called Adaptive Battery. At present there runs too many apps in the background eating up the battery life but this feature enables a sustainable way to ensure more battery life. App Actions kind of guides you in using the app and predicts your next steps. Adaptive Brightness is one of the most likeable feature because users love how the phone lighting changes with the ambience but through this the phone does the job all by itself when you enable this feature. It adapts to the surrounding light and does what is best for you. Slices is another intelligent feature where you are given a slice of the app you are looking for perhaps through Google search and lets you access it without opening the app.
Which Phones Will Have Android P?
To begin with, the first smartphones to run on Android P will be Pixel, Pixel 2, Pixel XL and Pixel 2XL out of the box. If you already own these phones then you can upgrade it to Android P as soon as it releases. However, older models of Nexus 5X, Nexus P and Pixel C tablet are not upgradable to Android P. The Beta versions of Android P is available and is downloadable in several phones including OnePlus 6, 5 and 5T from OnePlus forum. But keep in mind the beta versions have issues with bugs ad security and isn’t a refined Android P.
For now, it seems Google is holding all the surprises about the naming of Android P. Android OS have always been named after sweet treats. So, the guess is around Android Pie or something similar. It is till August that we have to hold our breath for all the excitement around this intelligent OS.
