The first Developer Preview of Android 11 has been released by Google almost a month ahead of the usual release cycle. And the next version of Android brings some really exciting new features onto the table, albeit the preview build means that the set of features and APIs are intended for developer testing only.
Android 11 preview build is still highly unstable and capable of unexpected behavior, like UI lags and frequent app crashes. The worst scenario that could happen to a user, however is perhaps the lose of all the data on the phone if not properly backed up.
Google has made a detailed roadmap for the Android 11 release, which includes when it will release all the developer previews, public beta builds and the final release.
Timeline, milestones, and updates
Android 11 Developer Preview Phases
The developer previews as the name suggests are released during the early months, which will focus on adding new features and APIs for developers testing only and making required changes after the developers must have given their feedback.
- Developer Preview 1 (February)
- Developer Preview 2 (March)
- Developer Preview 3 (April)
Android 11 Developer Preview phases runs from February 2020 for development and testing environments. Each includes SDK tools, API reference, system images, and emulators. The early baseline build will focus on developer feedback, with new features, APIs, and behavior changes, and priority window for feedback on APIs and report on any critical issues.
The Developer Preview 2 is more about incremental update with additional features, APIs, and behavior changes, with developers feedback and early app compatibility testing. While the Developer Preview 3 is update for stability and performance and getting apps ready for Public Betas.
It includes system images for a variety of Pixel devices, including Pixel 4 / 4 XL, Pixel 3a / 3a XL, Pixel 3 / 3 XL, or Pixel 2 / 2 XL, for developing and testing.
Android 11 Public Beta Phases
The Initial Public Beta phase is over-the-air update to early adopters who are enrolled in the Android Beta program. It involves continuous compatibility testing, and feedback from Android Beta users.
- Public Beta 1 (May)
- Public Beta 2 (June)
- Public Beta 3 (July)
The second beta phase is more of Platform Stability milestone. With the Final APIs open for Play publishing and the final compatibility testing for apps, SDKs, and libraries.
Release candidate build is the last phase of the public beta. It includes the release of compatible updates for apps, SDKs, and libraries.
Final Release Date
The Final release forAndroid 11 to AOSP and the ecosystem is scheduled for Q3 2020. It will include the release of compatible updates for apps, SDKs, and libraries. And continuous work to target Android 11 build with new features and APIs.
If you want to get started with testing the previews, you can install Android 11 on your hardware device, or set up an emulator for compatibility testing. Check the Android 11 update page for more details.
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