Google has introduced the first beta version of the open mobile platform Android 16. A preliminary testing program has been proposed to evaluate the new capabilities of the platform. Firmware builds have been prepared for devices including Pixel 6/6a/6 Pro, Pixel 7/7a/7 Pro, Pixel 8/8a/8 Pro, Pixel 9/9 Pro/9 Pro XL/9 Pro Fold, Pixel Fold, and Pixel Tablet.
The preliminary release has been formed three months earlier than in previous versions due to a shift to a new development schedule, according to which there will be not one significant release of Android each year, but two releases — the first one in the second quarter (instead of the third as before), and the second one in the fourth quarter. The summer release will include significant innovations, changes in behavior in the SDK, and new APIs. The winter release will contain improvements, new APIs, and changes that do not affect application functionality.
Among the changes in Android 16 Developer Preview 1:
- An embedded interface has been proposed to provide applications with access to photos and videos selected by users, stored both on the current device and in cloud storage. The key difference of the new interface is that the application gains access not to the entire multimedia library, but only to individual files chosen by the user.
- In Health Connect, a separate storage for data from fitness trackers and other health-related devices, an API has been added that allows applications to read and store medical records in FHIR format with user consent verification.
- Support for technologies developed under the Privacy Sandbox initiative has been added to facilitate advertising in mobile applications while ensuring user privacy.
Source: opennet.ru
