Android N

Android N

A version of the Android operating system
Developer	Google
Written in	{{#property:p277}}
Latest preview	Developer Preview 3 (NPD35K) / May 18, 2016 (2016-05-18)
License	{{#property:p275}}
Preceded by	Android 6.x "Marshmallow"
Official website	www.android.com
Support status
Pre-release beta

Android "N" is the codename of an upcoming release of the Android operating system. It was first released as a developer preview on March 9, 2016, with factory images for current Nexus devices, as well as with the new "Android Beta Program" which allows supported devices to be upgraded directly to the Android "N" beta via over-the-air update.

The stable release of the operating system is expected in mid-2016.

History

On May 18, 2016, Google announced that Android N had reached beta quality with Developer Preview 3.

Features

"N" introduces a split-screen multi-window mode, in which two apps can be snapped to occupy halves of the screen. An experimental freeform multi-window mode is also available as a hidden feature, where multiple apps can appear simultaneously on the screen. The notification shade was also redesigned, featuring a smaller row of icons for settings, replacing notification cards with a "sheet" design, and allowing inline replies to notifications implemented via existing APIs used with Android Wear. Multiple notifications from a single app can also be "bundled".

The "Doze" power saving mechanism introduced in Marshmallow was expanded to include a state activated when the device is running on battery and the screen has been off for a period of time, but is not stationary. In this state, network activity is restricted, and apps are granted "maintenance windows" in which they can access the network and perform background tasks. The full Doze state is activated if the device is stationary for a period of time.

A new "Data Saver" mode restricts background mobile data usage, and can trigger internal functions in apps that are designed to reduce bandwidth usage, such as capping the quality of streaming media among other examples.

Developer Preview 2 added platform support for Vulkan, the new low-level 3D rendering API to augment OpenGL ES but with higher graphics performance. A new set of human emoji was also included in this version of the preview, with support for skin tones.

Development platform

In December 2015, Google announced that Android N would switch its Java Runtime Environment from the defunct Apache Harmony to OpenJDK—the official open source implementation of the Java platform maintained by Oracle Corporation and the Java community. Google promoted that the shift was part of an effort to create a "common code base" between Java on Android and other platforms and allow use of popular Java 8 features in code. The switch is actually to address ongoing litigation with Oracle surrounding its use of copyrighted Java APIs as part of the Android platform, as OpenJDK is expressly licensed under the GNU General Public License—meaning that it can be freely used by Google as long as the company remains in compliance with its terms.

The Android Runtime (ART) now incorporates a profile-guided compilation system, utilizing a JIT compiler and profiling alongside its current ahead-of-time compiler to further optimize apps for a device's hardware and other conditions in the background. This change also increases the speed of the application "optimization" process that occurs on an app or system upgrade.

See also

• Android version history

External links

• Official website
• Official G+ community

1. REDIRECT Template:Google LLC