Android P close to completion

With new emojis, gestures, improved file management and possibly better audio controls, Android P is also set to bring an updated and customisable navigation bar. — AFP Relaxnews

A Beta 3 version of Android P mobile operating system is rolling out for testing, allowing developers to see how their apps would work with the latest updates. It's close to being complete, so what can users expect to get with the upcoming rollout?

Although not ready for general release, Android P Beta 3 is getting "very close to what you'll see in the final version," notes Dave Burke, Google VP of Engineering (Android) in a blogpost on July 2. Set to roll out in late summer, while what the ‘P' stands for remains a mystery (will the 9.0 version of the operating system go by the name of Pancake, Popsicle, Pumpkin Pie...?), a few of the features it will include are coming to light.

With new emojis, gestures, improved file management and possibly better audio controls, Android P is also set to bring an updated and customisable navigation bar. Google also announced earlier this year, at its Google I/O back in May that it will include features aimed at helping users optimise their "digital well-being", such as a new Dashboard to let you keep track of time spent on the device and specific apps, as well as a Wind Down mode to help users remember and respect their bedtime.

Mostly an update to fix a few bugs and improve stability, the main purpose of this latest beta version appears to be the finalised APIs, allowing developers to build and test apps with tools including support for multi-camera, display cutout, enhanced notifications and more.

In terms of security, Android P offers more than just a few minor tweaks; in fact, it will perform client-side encryption, to make it harder for information to be accessed from a computer.

Adaptive battery and brightness will contribute to the promised battery improvements that come with most of these types of updates. And thanks to ART enhancements, apps will launch more quickly and use less memory.

For developers making use of the bug fixes, the Android engineering team will host a Reddit AMA on r/androiddev to answer your technical questions about Android P on July 19. — AFP Relaxnews