Category: Android N

When Google unleashed the first technical preview of Android N on the world this week, nobody really saw it coming. In fact, talking to sources at Google, I’m not even sure most of the company knew. Sure the Android team did and like a few other critical teams but broadly?  I don’t think so.  Many Googlers I know were just as surprised as you or me.

For me though, the release of the preview could not have been timed more perfectly and the way they opened it up to anyone running a Nexus device will assure that this launch will likely be the most successful ever for an Android release.  It also moves up their release timeline to mid-year, something that will help year end holiday season sales of devices as N will be well established by then.  It is a stroke of genius by Google and should not be lost on anyone.

Editor’s Note:  This post is concerning a feature in Android N.  As this new version of Android is still in development, the features described in this post could change between the time of the writing and when it is released to the public in the summer of 2016.

As I dig further into Android N, another nice improvement to a feature already there has surfaced that will benefit users on low data allowances.  Data Usage has been in Android a while and in Marshmallow is pretty good at giving you notifications on when you are approaching your cellular data threshold for the month and, in fact, can even be configured to disable your data once you hit that threshold to avoid overages.  But it is somewhat of an all or nothing proposition and while you can go into Data Usage and restrict apps from using data, it is again an all or nothing.  That appears to be changing in Android N.

Editor’s Note:  This post is concerning a feature in Android N.  As this new version of Android is still in development, the features described in this post could change between the time of the writing and when it is released to the public in the summer of 2016.

The world is less than 24 hours into the initial technical release of Android N but already some new features and improvements are starting to emerge.  One of those is around Doze, the battery saving element in the Operating System.  As many of you will know, Doze made its appearance in Android Marshmallow and while it is really good and really impressive, it does have some rough edges.  It appears that Google is working to address those in N and from what I am seeing, they are all positive steps.

On the heels of the first technical preview being released yesterday, Google has published the official Support and Release Notes for Android N.  The lengthy page outlines known issues with the release as well as performance issues that users may encounter with this first release of the next generation of Android.  As I put in the announcement of the preview yesterday, this release is not for the faint of heart and certainly not ready for your primary phone or tablet.  It has a lot of issues that you would expect at this very early stage and this document outlines a lot of them.

[Update] I just received the discount code.  All in, it took about 45 minutes from the time I submitted to the time I received it.  Not bad.  Again, your mileage will vary.

As part of the announcement releasing the technical preview of Android N, Google has also announced that developers can save 25% off of the latest Android tablet, the Pixel C.  But here is the interesting things:  It seems that anyone can get the deal.  Simply register your email address and you will be sent a discount code to use in the Google Store.

As you all know, Android N is now available in developer preview (beta) for a select set of Nexus devices.  As I pointed out in my post, it is certainly beta and unless you have a device that you don’t need as your daily driver, you most certainly should wait.  That said, there is no reason you have to wait for the stock wallpaper from N!