Google Unveils Android P's New Features in First Developer Preview

By Jessica Ferrera, Christian Post Contributor Sunday, March 11, 2018

Google has recently released the first developer preview for the next Android operating system build currently dubbed as the Android P.

As the program's name suggests, the current version of Android P is limited to app developers since it is obviously still in its very early stages.

"Early feedback from our developer community is crucial in helping us evolve the platform to meet your needs," the company explained in a blog post.

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However, Google has also announced some of the new features that users can expect in the Android P.

One of the new features introduced in the first Android P Developer Preview is its indoor mapping that uses the Wi-Fi Round-Trip-Time (RTT) protocol. This will let apps "measure the distance to nearby RTT-capable WiFi Access Points" and permit more accurate positioning "of 1 to 2 meters."

It can be recalled that a similar feature was previously added on iOS 11. When its full version was released late last year, Apple had included in it the indoor maps of 40 airports and malls. However, there is an apparent difference on how this feature is going to work on Android P. As explained above, Google's indoor positioning will use actual Wi-Fi access points, which means the mapping does not need to be uploaded to the system by batches.

According to Google, it had also prioritized the improvement of messaging notifications. In previous Android versions, users could only use text to reply directly to a message from the notification panel. But in Android P, users will also have the option to reply with templates and other attachments as well as review recent conversations with the sender.

As dual-lens cameras are becoming the trend both on premium and mid-range smartphones, Google will be adding the Multi-camera API that will allow users to have "seamless zoom, bokeh, and stereo vision" -- photo features that were previously only possible with dual cameras.

Meanwhile, in 9To5Google's report, one of the most noted changes in Android P was the addition of a battery level indicator when the device is on Always-on Display mode. Previously, XDA-Developers also suggested that Android P would come with Bluetooth support so smartphone screens may function as digital keyboards or a trackpad.