While Google has yet to confirm that a new Android version is coming out in the 2016 Google I/O Conference scheduled for next month, it seems that fans may expect a nearly-finished version of Android N at the event, as the beta developer preview reaches its second version.
Announcing the development on the Android Developers blog, the second preview versions addresses the bugs and glitches found on the original Android N developer preview version released last month. Writing on the blog, Dave Burke, vice-president of engineering (Android) at Google, stated that "The feedback you've shared to-date has helped us catch bugs and improve features. Today, the second release in our series of Developer Previews is ready for you to continue testing against your apps."
Meanwhile, aside from improving already-released features and addressing glitches on the original preview version, the Android N Developer Preview 2 also introduces a number of new features that may make it to the final, consumer version of Android N. Most noted among the new features is the introduction of Vulkan, the new 3D rendering API that Google hopes will help in optimizing performance for Android N-enabled mobile devices, particularly when using graphics-intensive apps. Launcher shortcuts for the Android N have also gone live, as well as support for Unicode 9 emojis.
The new beta version also fixes featured APIs from the original developer preview.
Some of the new features in Android N Developer Preview 2 have already gotten feedback from industry observers. Android Police reports that a third-party launcher app called Nova Launcher already has the new folder design in beta 2 already incorporated in the new Nova Launcher version. Meanwhile, according to The Verge, the new folder design for the second beta of Android N looks to be a copy of the design in iOS, which is also visually unappealing.
