Google’s Android N Developer Preview Released With Multi-Window Support, Data Saver, Number-Blocking

Google has started rolling out the “Android N Developer Preview.” Initially, this version was expected to be released sometime in May during the annual Google I/O 2016 event. However, Google has jumped the gun by introducing the firmware two months earlier than usual.

In order to make developers’ life easier, Google is reportedly rolling out the Android N Developer Preview as an OTA update. The additional time given to developers will help the search giant in getting more feedback and thereby, fixing or changing the software package will become easier.

As it turns out, a total of five developer previews of Android N have been scheduled prior to the final build, which is expected to be released in Q3 2016, Phone Arena noted. In any case, the new preview reportedly doesn’t look like a finished product. Google is planning to add many more features in the future build.

The Android N Developer Preview can now be received if you own one of the following handsets: Nexus 6, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus Player, Nexus 9 and Pixel C. However, the Nexus 5 has been left out from the eligible handsets list. Device owners have to sign up in order to receive the firmware update.

Upon installing the preview version, all the future updates will automatically be directed to the device. Interested readers can sign up via Google Android Beta.

The Android N features include native multi-window support for both phones and tablets. Support for “Picture-in-picture,” "Direct Reply Notifications," “number blocking,” along with improvements for Doze to save more battery have all been included in the preview.

Google is also reportedly working to reduce the memory usage of apps by making them run in the background efficiently via the new “Data Saver” feature. There are multiple ways to achieve this and one of them is via “limiting bit rate for streaming, reducing image quality, deferring optimistic pre-caching.”

Google has not revealed the dessert name of Android N yet. Not long ago, CEO Sundar Pichai said polling could be conducted to arrive at the name. But then, Google SVP for Android, Chrome OS and Chromecast, Hiroshi Lockheimer, reportedly said: “We're nut tellin' you yet,” when asked about the "N" in the OS name. Nevertheless, the “nut” in the reply gives a hint. Will it be “Nutella”?