Google Delivers Android 12 Developer Preview 3

Google today released the third and final Android 12 Developer Preview ahead of its first beta release, which is expected in May.

“Today we’re sharing Developer Preview 3, the next milestone release of Android 12, for your testing and feedback,” Google vice president Dave Burke announced. “In Android 12 we’re continuing to focus on making the OS smarter, easier to use, and better performing, with privacy and security at the core. We’re also working to give you new tools for building great experiences for users on phones, laptops, tablets, TVs, or cars.”

Key new features in this release include:

New app launch experience. Android 12 features a new app launch animation, a splash screen showing the app icon, and a transition to the app. “The new experience brings standard design elements to every app launch, but we’ve also made it customizable so apps can maintain their unique branding,” Burke explains.

New call notification template. In Android 12 call notifications will get more visibility and scannability, plus improved consistency with other notifications. Developers can try out the new CallStyle template to create notifications for incoming, outgoing, and screened calls.

New camera capabilities. Android 12 will include a number of low-level improvements to the camera capabilities, including support for third-party extensions to Camera2 and explicit support for ultra-high-resolution camera sensors with Quad / Nona Bayer patterns.

New alarms permission. A new type of alarm, called an exact alarm, minimizes wakeups and helps preserve battery life.

As with previous Android 12 Developer Preview releases, you will need a Pixel 3, 3a, 4, 4a, 4a (5G), or 5 handsets to test this version, or you can use an emulator with Android Studio. If you’re using Developer Preview 2 already, you should soon get this update over-the-air (OTA), Google notes.

The first Android 12 beta is expected in May.