Google released Android 11 Developer Preview nearly a month ahead of its usual schedule. The next version of Google's mobile operating system, Android 11 brings some interesting features which is worth trying.
You can install the developer preview if you own a compatible device (Pixel 2/2XL, 3/3XL and 4/4XL). Unfortunately, original Pixel and Pixel XL users have nothing to do this time.
So when will Android 11 arrive?
Now one important thing to note here is that the preview build comes with a new set of features and APIs intended for developer testing only.
This means that the preview version of Android 11 is unstable and may exhibit unexpected behavior, UI lag, and more frequent app crashes. In the worst case scenario, a user may lose all the data on their phone if a proper backup is not taken. That is the reason why Google only allows manual flashing of Android 11 DP1, which will not be to everyone's liking.
Android 11 roadmap
Google has laid out a detailed roadmap for Android 11's 2020 release. Here's when Google will release the next developer previews and beta builds:
- Developer Preview 1 (February)
- Developer Preview 2 (March)
- Developer Preview 3 (April)
- Public Beta 1 (May)
- Public Beta 2 (June)
- Public Beta 3 (Q3) (Expected: July)
- Final release (Q3) (expected: August)
As the name suggests, the developer previews released during the first few months, will focus on adding new APIs, features, and making any necessary changes after developer feedback.
When it does that, public betas will allow general users to try out the latest version of the operating system, Android 11. Meanwhile, developers will be busy testing their apps for bugs and compatibility issues.
Google says that Beta 2 will be a major milestone, called Platform Stability, in the development of Android 11. It will put a confirmation stamp on all APIs and behaviors added to the new version of Android, meaning there is not a significant number of changes beyond this point.
So, if you are skeptical about installing an unstable version of Android 11, you can wait until June and get Public Beta 2. Of course, the process of installing Android 11 betas will be much easier in the form of OTA.
Android 11 release date
It was a surprising move from Google that DP1 was made in February. Talking about the past, Android 10 It was officially launched in September of last year. So considering the change, it should be safe to assume that Android 11 could land in August 2020.
However, Google has mentioned Q3 for the final release, which means we can be a bit more optimistic and expect the Android 11 release date to fall in July.
Regardless, we'll keep an eye out for future Android 11 developments.