Android Vice President of Engineering Dave Burke recently announced plans for the launch of Android 11. Burke mentions that when the team started planning for Android 11, they weren’t expecting all the sudden changes that would happen in the world.
According to Burke, this has kept the Android team flexible to find new ways to work with the developer community.
To overcome current challenges, Burke announced that there will be an update on his release plans. Developers will be able to preview the changes in the Beta version between June 1 and 3.
To tell the details about the launch and provide technical resources to developers, the Android team hosted a developer event (online, of course) which they will call # Android11: the Beta Launch Show.
What is # Android11: The Beta Launch Show?
Given the circumstances, sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic, developers won’t be able to join Google’s annual Google I / O conference at Shoreline Amphitheater. For this reason, Burke announced that the Android team is hosting an online event where they will share the best of what’s new on Android.
The # Android11: The Beta Launch Show will be an opportunity for developers to discover what’s new in Android from the people who create Android. The event will start at 11 a.m. ET on June 3. And it will end with a live Q&A after the show.
Also, developers can ask any questions they have from Twitter, with the hashtag #AskAndroid.
The event will also include talks that were originally planned for Google I / O, which will cover topics such as Jetpack Compose to Android Studio and Google Play, conversations that they had originally planned for Google I / O, to help you take advantage of the latest in Android development.
Everybody can subscribe to receive updates on this digital event at developer.android.com/android11.
Android 11 scheduling update
In a fast-moving industry, the Android team is looking for ways to bring Android to devise manufacturers looking to incorporate the operating system into their new products.
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They have also found that many developers prioritize early testing of apps and games on Android 11, based in part on the Stability Platform and other novel features of the operating system. At the same time, they require remote collaboration and prioritize the well-being of close family and friends.
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To meet the needs of the ecosystem, the team led by Burke decided to postpone the launch of Android 11, which is why they will move to Beta 1 in about a month. Despite these changes, Android remains on track to make the final launch in the third quarter.
Here are some of the key changes to the new schedule:
- Developer preview release for testing and feedback.
- The Beta 1 version is moved to June 3. They will include the final SDK and NDK APIs with this version and open the Google Play publication for applications intended for Android 11.
- Beta 2 moves to July. The stability of the platform with this version will be achieved in this version.
- Beta 3 moves to August and will include release candidate versions for the final test.
Providing to the developing community with the final APIs on the original timeline while changing the other dates gives developers an extra month to compile and test with the final APIs, while Android developers make sure they have the same amount of time between Stability of the platform and the final launch, scheduled for the third quarter.
Application compatibility
The schedule change adds some extra time to test the compatibility of the developing application and identify any modifications that need to be made. Burke recommends launching an app update compatible with Android 11 Beta on June 3 to receive feedback from the largest group of Android Beta users who will receive the update.
With Beta 1, the SDK and NDK APIs will be final, and as platform stability is reached in July, system behaviors and non-SDK gray lists will also be finalized. At this point, Burke recommends planning a final compatibility test and launching the fully compatible application, SDK, or library as soon as possible so that you are ready for the final version of Android 11.
Compatibility tests can be done on a Pixel 2, 3, 3a, or 4 devices, or you can use the Android emulator.
Developers simply need to show the latest version, install their current production application, and test user flows.
Burke recommends reviewing behavior changes for areas where the application could be affected.
Start testing Android 11
The Android team released the fourth Developer Preview with the latest bug fixes, API tweaks, and features to test in their apps. It’s available via manual and flash download for Pixel 2, 3, 3a, or 4 devices, and if you’re already running a Developer Preview build, you’ll get a wireless update (OTA) for today’s release.