Android P Developer Preview Released: What Is New?

After the issue of Android O last year, a new version, Android P (Android 9.0) is ready to come out in 2018. There is no doubt that many of you might be strongly curious about the new features of Android P. With the release of Android P Developer Preview, we can now have a clear idea about what the next Android version will be like.

CONTENTS
1. Display cutout
2. Indoor Positioning
3. Notification Center
4. Privacy
5. Multiple Cameras Support
6. When Will Android 9.0 Come Out & What Will It Be Called?
7. How to Get Android P Right Now?

1. Display Cutout

Google features Display Cutout in Android P, which means that unlike iPhone X, the notch in Android P will not influence the screen display. Based on the new feature, developers can make their applications automatically adapt to the notch and avoid the notch area in the display so that you don't need to worry that important pop-up messages or navigation bar will be blocked.

2. Indoor Positioning

With the support of WiFi IEEE 802.11mc, certain app in Android P has the ability to track users' indoor moving path by measuring the distance between WiFi RTT-capable Access Points and the users. Under this feature, your location can be determined even when you get lost in a building. Besides, Android P also optimizes Autofill, Neural Networks API, and Power Efficiency.

3. Notification Center

One of the highlights that Google strongly promoted on Android P must be the improvement of Notification Center. According to the Android P Developer Preview, users are able to see the images you received in the notification shade. Moreover, it also allows you to quickly respond to incoming messages, using suggested replies which are created beforehand.

4. Privacy

Likewise, Android P lays its emphasis on Security and Privacy. A new API is designed for the Autofill in order to enhance the overall experience. As many applications require fingerprint as a key to access your account, on Android P, all apps will adopt the same fingerprint authentication UI so that users can tell that their fingerprints are used by legit apps. What's more, Android P will restrain an idle app to access microphone, camera, and sensor, once it is considered as idle.

What's more, Google is also enabling encryption and requiring a passcode when you backup your device so as to protect your data.

5. Multiple Cameras Support

It's not unusual for Android smartphones to have multiple cameras on the front or back these days. With the support of new API, Android P allows developers to access one or more cameras at the same time so that multiple cameras can be used simultaneously.

6. When Will Android 9.0 Come Out & What Will It Be Called?

It is said that the official release of Android P public betas will be in the mid-May in 2018. Moreover, the final consumer release will be in August 2018. However, one of most mysterious questions about Android P is still keeping people in suspense. What does the letter "P" stand for?

As we know, Android OS is usually named after a dessert. For example, Android O (Android 8.0) is a short name of Android Oreo. Or Android 7.0 is named Android Nougat. Here are some guesses of the name of Android P:

Android Popsicle;
Android Pancake;
Android Polo;
Android Pie;
Android Peanut Butter;
Android Picnic;
Android Pop Tart;
...
Don't worry. The answer will be brought to light after its release in the middle of May.

7. How to Get Android P Right Now？

Some of you might want to try Android P Developer Preview, but Android P Developer Preview is only compatible with Google's own Pixel devices for now, for example, Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL. Therefore, for ordinary users, you'd better wait for the public preview version of Android P in May.

After reading this article, are you interested in Android P? Please let us know with comments below.