Google Releases Final Android O Developer Preview

Google Releases Final Android O Developer Preview

Promising a final release of the system soon, Google today released Android O Developer Preview 4.

“As we put the finishing touches on the Android O platform, today we’re rolling out Developer Preview 4 to help you make sure your apps are ready,” Google VP of Engineering Dave Burke writes. “This is the final preview before we launch the official Android O platform to consumers later this summer.”

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Google released the initial Android O Developer Preview back in March, and I’ve been using it ever since on my Pixel XL. Developer Preview 2 followed in May, and then Developer Preview 3 in June.

Google describes this preview as a release candidate, meaning that there is a small possibility that this is, in fact, the final release of Android O. It includes the final system behaviors, Google says, the latest bug fixes and optimizations, and the final APIs (API level 26).

But, as always, the goal for this release is that developers can test their apps on the very latest Android platform and its new features, such as notification channels and dots, shortcut pinning, picture-in-picture, autofill, and more.

As with previous releases, Android O Developer Preview 4 is available only on a limited selection o Google devices, including the Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel C, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus Player, and the Android Emulator. If you’ve been using a previous preview, you will get it over the air automatically. Otherwise, you can manually install this release from the Android Developer website.

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Conversation 10 comments

  • jimchamplin

    Premium Member
    24 July, 2017 - 3:19 pm

    <p>I'm sure that by this time next year, it will be installed on six, maybe seven percent of Android devices! </p>

  • rameshthanikodi

    24 July, 2017 - 3:45 pm

    <p>It feels weird to not feel excited by a new Android version. I don't think I'll be missing much if my phone doesn't get this update.</p>

    • ianhead

      24 July, 2017 - 8:57 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#152287"><em>In reply to FalseAgent:</em></a></blockquote><p>I agree. The last several major revisions have felt very much like just minor polish more than anything fundamentally significant. I take that as a good sign that Android is quite a mature OS now (and it is, IMO), but I do miss the excitement of seeing major changes and improvements being brought from the Eclair/Froyo/Gingerbread/ICS days.</p>

      • James Wilson

        25 July, 2017 - 4:51 am

        <blockquote><a href="#152382"><em>In reply to ianhead:</em></a></blockquote><p><br></p><p>I guess there is only so much you can do with a mobile operating system. It runs apps. It's all about the apps now.</p>

    • Nicholas Kathrein

      25 July, 2017 - 8:36 am

      <blockquote><a href="#152287"><em>In reply to FalseAgent:</em></a></blockquote><p>I think once the new Google Phone is annonuced there might be more things in the OS that we will see that we want. Google Lense is one I'm looking for and since my Nexus 6p will be 2 years old I don't feel as bad spending $700 to $800 for a new phone. My wife and I switch off every year. She had the Note 7, which she loved, but had to turn it back in and ended up getting a One Plus 3t which has been great for her. She like the more vivid screens on Samsung though and the better camera. </p>

  • Craig.Carboni

    25 July, 2017 - 4:10 am

    <p>Editing Google Keep notes still does not work.</p>

  • Tony Barrett

    25 July, 2017 - 5:47 am

    <p>Adding features for the sake of adding features (I'm talking to you Microsoft!) is not always sensible. It can compound problems and add bugs. Android O isn't going to look like anything major has changed, but under the hood there will be lots of changes, making the overall O/S quite mature now and very reliable. Battery life in Nougat was immense, and it's meant to be even better in 8. I just hope as many as possible get a taste of it! </p>

  • markbyrn

    Premium Member
    25 July, 2017 - 8:19 am

    <p>There's an Octopus easter egg – doesn't seem like a tasty dessert to me. </p>

  • Lauren Glenn

    25 July, 2017 - 1:19 pm

    <p>I just got Marshmallow on my ASUS Padfone S last year. The phone works great and all of these new bells and whistles are nice, but I'm not going to buy a new phone now because of it until all of my old apps stop working due to the OS being deprecated. By then, I bet someone will be selling their Galaxy Note 10 which will still oddly enough have the same size screen as their flagship phone. 🙁 I wish they'd make that Note phone a good 10" in size to make it like how the original Note phone was when it first came out.</p>

  • screen23

    20 August, 2017 - 4:32 pm

    <p>thanks</p>

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