We learnt a lot more about Android N at Google I/O 2016. What’s new? Let’s take a look.
Google continued to tease its forthcoming Android N operating system at its annual I/O developer conference, saying that its next mobile OS will offer improved performance, more robust security, VR support and…a name chosen by its own users.
We’d all been waiting to hear Google reveal the dessert-themed moniker of Android N, but in the end it opted to open the floodgates and let the public vote for the new system’s name. You can have your say here.
Related: Everything Google announced at I/O 2016
Elsewhere among the 250-odd new features coming to Android N, Google talked up some of its performance improvements.
These include support for Vulkan, a cross-platform 3D graphics and compute module that will allow for more sophisticated gaming as well as being 30-60% faster on standard applications.
Related: What is Vulkan?
And it reminded us about some of Android N’s new multitasking features, such as Picture in Picture mode.
Android N will also offer support for Google’s new Daydream VR platform and, last but certainly not least, Google announced that the Android N beta release candidate is available now.
What does that actually mean? In exiting preview mode, Google is basically saying that Android N is now stable enough to use, so you can download it on your primary device (provided it’s a Nexus) as opposed to relegating it to a secondary gadget.
Related: How to install Android N today
You can learn more about Android N by watching the video below.
Watch Now: Android N hands-on
What Android N feature are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comments below.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.