Earlier this week, Google released the first preview build of its next-generation Android N software. Huh? That’s right, the company somehow managed to surprise us all and issue a brand new Android build without fans having had any clue it was coming. Android 6.0 Marshmallow is now found on 2.3% of Android devices currently in use, so clearly it’s time for an upgrade.
Joking aside, Android N will bring a variety of new features to the Android platform and Google has decided to do things a bit differently this time around. Rather than wait until the Google I/O developer conference in May to release the first developer beta of Android N, Google is releasing it now in an effort to get plenty of feedback before N reaches the general public sometime this summer.
Of course, now that Android N is available to developers, we all get to check it out.
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We gave you a quick overview of some of Android N’s new features on Wednesday. We also went over five key new features that Android N “borrowed” from iOS. Now, it’s time to dive a bit deeper into the new operating system.
Though they’re not very effective, Apple has strict guidelines on what can and cannot be shared by developers when it comes to beta software. Google is less concerned with secrecy, and it’s happy to let people show off its latest and greatest Android features. As such, 9to5Google put together a nice quick video the provides a thorough walkthrough of Android N’s best new features.
The video is embedded below, and the Android N developer preview can be installed on a wide range of Nexus devices by visiting Google’s Android developer site. Of course, this is early software that may include bugs, so consider yourself warned.
