Google Launches Android O Developer Preview 3 With Final APIs (venturebeat.com)

An anonymous reader quotes a report from VentureBeat: Google today launched the third Android O developer preview, available for download now at developer.android.com and via the Android Beta Program. The preview includes an updated SDK with system images for the Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus Player, Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel C, and the official Android Emulator, and there's even an emulator for testing Android Wear 2.0 on Android O. The big highlight with this preview is that the Android O APIs are now final. Google launched the first Android O developer preview in March and the second developer preview in May at its I/O 2017 developer conference. Google is planning to release one more preview with near-final system images in July and has slated the final version for release "later this summer" (in Q3 2017). Developer Preview 3 includes the latest version of the Android O platform with the final API level 26 and "hundreds of bug fixes and optimizations."

Comments

The last beta released crashed non-stop on '6p

[Anonymous Coward]

... so I left the beta program because the software was barely alpha - Google seems to be neglecting testing for all but the most recent devices.

Testing and quality clearly aren't strong points these days.

Re:The last beta released crashed non-stop on '6p

[Anonymous Coward]

Blame the philosophy of "release early, release often" (bonus - keeps my phone running out of space as Google Play Services bloats)
By extension, blame the internet: if they were a physical process, nobody would pick up upgrade release media at local stores even if it were free, because very few people know how to install their own stuff. Don't believe me? try and add the internet back to the equation, and notice how software makers try to sneak in their own "Automatic updates" and sometimes re-enable it. Even before Windows 10!

Re:The last beta released crashed non-stop on '6p

[ArmoredDragon]

Last I checked, nobody ever guarantees the performance of pre-release software, up to and including release candidates.

Re:The last beta released crashed non-stop on '6p

[ruemere]

Maintaining reasonable standards of quality keeps the populace of your beta-testers happy. By losing on the goodwill of volunteers, you lose the people you wanted to test and buy your products. It's a good business practice to maintain cordial relationship with customers.

Re:The last beta released crashed non-stop on '6p

[Anonymous Coward]

Been in the beta program since before Nougat myself, and my 6P was entirely fine. First day of the Android O DP2 and it crashed twice (I sent feedback), but the second day it got an update and hasn't crashed since. DP3 is fine too. So perhaps the problems you had are more specific to your device.

If the occasional crash is a problem for you, then yeah, you shouldn't be in the program. Understanding that clearly isn't a strong point these days either.

Re:The last beta released crashed non-stop on '6p

[ArmoredDragon]

I don't think this is why Google releases beta software to the general public. The reason they do it is so that application developers can begin learning new API changes and additions, begin testing their own apps against newer versions of the OS, and if something that their app does triggers a new bug that was introduced, they can report it to Google for a fix before it goes live, and applying a fix becomes more difficult. (Google can't possibly test every single scenario that every developer encounters.)

It isn't intended to be somebody's daily driver.

Re:The last beta released crashed non-stop on '6p

[el_smurfo]

I ran the DP2 on my 6P and it was totally acceptable. There were some memory management issues that made it a bit janky and hard to keep background programs in memory when the camera was launched, but nothing you might not expect from an early beta. DP3 has fixed every issue I had and it's running great, so I had a month where my phone was just a little bit "off", but hardly "barely alpha"

What does Android O bring to us?

[Anonymous Coward]

So what is new in the Android O? Less colors and more whitespace on screen? What features were removed this time? How many new Google apps are pushed in now? What kind of competitor harming they did now on the API side?

So... why?

[Anonymous Coward]

Why Google bothers releasing a new version of Android when most people is under Marshmallow and only a 9% of Android users are in Nougat?

Re:So... why?

[ruemere]

Because waiting for the people who are late is not a good strategy for those who want to move forward.

Re:So... why?

[Anonymous Coward]

What I meant is Google should care more about making sure people can update their OS instead of releasing new versions nobody is going to use.

Re:So... why?

[Anonymous Coward]

Right, because if they didn't bother with new versions, everyone would still be on Gingerbread.

As for what they're doing about it, read up on Project Treble.

Re:So... why?

[Anonymous Coward]

Google can't do anything about it. They are fixing it for future versions, though.

Re:So... why?

[beanpoppa]

My Pixel and my wife's Nexus have been on Nougat for quite a while. Those who care can buy an Android phone that has the latest software. Google is exercising the practice of leading from the front.

Can't wait for P

[Is Don the new Ron]

Google's marketing 'Droids might still be debating whether to call the next release a healthier (than Nougat at least) Oatmeal Cookie or attempt another Kitkat stunt with the maker of a certain cream-filled sandwich cookie, but I expect Android O+ to be the most Predictable release name evar, Android Peanut Butter. I'd be mildly surprised if it was the mutant variety, Peanut Butter & Jelly, but I doubt it, since it will have an unwanted echo with Android Jellybean (4.1/4.2). Any other name (Pumpkin or Peach Pie, anyone?) is going to result in a Twitter storm of protest. Of course, Google might want to delay the inevitable and call the next release by the same code name.

So...

[Anonymous Coward]

What the fuck is Android O?