Google to launch Android P developer preview in mid-March: Report

Android P developer preview could be coming in mid-March.

The first beta preview of Android P, Google’s next version of Android mobile OS, will launch later month. Popular leaker Evan Blass on Twitter claims Google is targeting a mid-March release for Android P developer preview. That simply means we could see the release happen in a week or so. Last March, Google launched the first developer preview of Android O.

The next version of Google’s mobile operating system will be designed from scratch, which could be a part of “Material Design 2”. According to a report from Bloomberg, Google is redesigning the user interface to make sure its Android 9.0 stands out against Apple’s upcoming iOS 12. Sources close to Bloomberg claim Google wants to persuade more iPhone users to switch to Android. Bloomberg also notes that Android P will support the controversial “notch” above the display, similar to the iPhone X. Notably, many Android smartphone manufacturers are already working on phones with an all-screen display and a “notch” inspired from Apple’s latest iPhone X.

Additionally, the report said Google is working hard to integrate Google Assistant into Android P. This will allow third-party developers to integrate Google Assistant within their apps. Besides that, Android P is said to natively support call recording feature. Google is working on a new Android P feature that will prevent background apps from accessing the device’s camera and microphone without the knowledge.

Android P Developer Preview 1 is targeting a mid-month release.

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) March 3, 2018

There’s still a lot we don’t know about Android P, so it’s exactly unknown what new features will be added to the next version of Android. Expect more details about Android P will be out during the annual Google I/O in May. Google I/O 2018 developer conference will take place from May 8 to May 10 at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountainview, California.