Did you expect to wake up to a new version of Android this morning? Probably not. But that's exactly what you're getting, and Google's letting the information fly fast and hard (... and in some cases, slightly before we expected) about the latest iteration of their mobile OS, at this time only known as "N." Like previous... previews... N doesn't have a version number or name yet, but it's chock-full of new features for users and developers alike, and the list of those features will grow as we near the final release. Let's break down the key facts.
- Preview images: Android N preview images will be available today for the Nexus 6, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, General Mobile 4G (Android One), Nexus Player, Nexus 9, and Pixel C.
- Android Beta Program: Google is announcing a new Android Beta Program to make it easier to try new versions of Android on your development devices via OTA(http://g.co/androidbeta). (Update: This site is broken until later today, per Google.)
- Multi-window: Android N finally adds support for split-screen multitasking ("multi-window"), which OK very cool, but! The new multi-window API also allows for picture-in-picture video, which I think is way more exciting. Persistent mini-YouTube window anywhere in the OS? Yes please. But it's not clear if that's for all devices or only Android TV - Google cites TV as an example.
- Direct reply notifications: You know the handy direct reply features of Hangouts and Messenger in the notification bar? There's now a whole API so any app can add a standardized direct reply feature. This is potentially huge - we'll have to see how developers take advantage of it.
- Bundled notification handling: Ever get tired of Gmail or Hangouts eventually just giving you an "X new notifications" or a bulk list of items when things stack up that you have to basically address by going into the app? Android N introduces bundled notifications - notifications that contain multiple items can be expanded to show all items in the list, allowing you to take actions on each item (for example, deleting 3 emails in a list of 10) individually, instead of having to act on them as a group or go into the app itself. Together with direct reply, Android's notification bar is about to get a hell of a lot more powerful.
- Improved Doze mode: Google hasn't specified how exactly (yet), but Doze mode is getting even better at sipping power when your phone's display is turned off. Details on how much less power will be consumed on average weren't provided, as I'm guessing Google is still fine-tuning Doze's new improvements. Hopefully we'll know more when N leaves the preview stage.
- Java 8: Android now supports Java 8 language features through the Jack compiler we detailed over a year ago.
- $150 off Pixel C for developers: As a way to encourage developers to test out N on tablets, Google is offering $150 off the Pixel C for devs here.
- A "final" N release will happen this summer: Hiroshi Lockheimer says Android N will be shipping in "final release" form to device makers "this summer." That means OTAs for existing devices could come any time between June 21st and September 21st - but I suspect we'll learn more about that at Google I/O. At least, hopefully.
Those are just the basics - there's a lot of information we're still unpacking here, and you can expect feature spotlights, individuals news posts, and a whole lot more throughout the day and over the next week as we tear through the N preview like a news team possessed. There will definitely be more features, tweaks, and changes we'll uncover, so don't consider the list above complete by any means.
Auto-rotate screen
This one isn't exactly straightforward: it shows or hides a rotation icon on the right side of the statusbar. If you've enabled auto-rotate in Quick Settings or elsewhere, the icon doesn't appear, but if you've disabled it, it will show as a portrait-only icon on a phone. (Apparently tablets will show either a portrait or landscape lock.) If you leave this System UI Tuner option disabled, it won't appear either way.
Headset
When enabled, a headset icon will appear on the right side of the statusbar if you plug in a stand-alone microphone or a wired mic/headphone combo. Oddly, this option doesn't seem to apply to a standard Bluetooth headset, which is handled by the Bluetooth icon itself.
Work profile
Presumably this enables or disables an icon that shows when your Work security profile is activated by a location proximity. Unfortunately I can't get it to appear or disappear in this first developer preview.
Volume
This option enables or hides the icons that appear when your device is set to Vibrate or Alarms Only mode. If you have volume enabled it won't appear in either setting.
Battery
The battery item has three options: show the percentage only when charging (default), always show percentage (my personal favorite), and an option that hides the battery icon entirely. In Android M it was only an on/off toggle.
Time
Again, users have three options here: a standard hour and minute clock, an extended version that also shows seconds, and completely hidden. Oddly there's no option for an AM or PM readout, though this appears when you lower the notification bar.
Cast, Hotspot, Bluetooth, Do Not Disturb, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Cellular Data, Airplane Mode, and Alarm
All of these options simply enable or disable their relevant icons, assuming they're active in the first place. Disable them all and you can get a completely clean statusbar... if you want.
Combine these options with the per-app notification settings in the Apps portion of the Settings menu, and Android N will let you make your statusbar and notifications look more or less however you want them to.
Number-blocking
Android N now supports number-blocking in the platform and provides a framework API to let service providers maintain a blocked-number list. The default SMS app, the default phone app, and provider apps can read from and write to the blocked-number list. The list is not accessible to other apps.
By making number-blocking a standard feature of the platform, Android provides a consistent way for apps to support number-blocking across a wide range of devices. Among the other benefits that apps can take advantage of are:
- Numbers blocked on calls are also blocked on texts
- Blocked numbers can persist across resets and devices through the Backup & Restore feature
- Multiple apps can use the same blocked numbers list
Additionally, carrier app integration through Android means that carriers can read the blocked numbers list on the device and perform service-side blocking for the user in order to stop unwanted calls and texts from reaching the user through any medium, such as a VOIP endpoint or forwarding phones.
Data Saver
Figure 4. Data Saver in Settings.
Over the life of a mobile device, the cost of a cellular data plan typically exceeds the cost of the device itself. For many users, cellular data is an expensive resource that they want to conserve.
Android N introduces Data Saver mode, a new system service that helps reduce cellular data use by apps, whether roaming, near the end of the billing cycle, or on a small prepaid data pack. Data Saver gives users control over how apps use cellular data and lets developers provide more efficient service when Data Saver is on.
When a user enables Data Saver in Settings and the device is on a metered network, the system blocks background data usage and signals apps to use less data in the foreground wherever possible — such as by limiting bit rate for streaming, reducing image quality, deferring optimistic precaching, and so on. Users can whitelist specific apps to allow background metered data usage even when Data Saver is turned on.
