Android O Not Currently Available Through The Beta Program

Android O’s first developer preview is out and brings the promise of a ton of new features with it, but what it does not bring with it, at least for now, is support for the Android Beta Program. This means that those who own a Pixel or Nexus and have signed up for the Beta Program will continue getting the latest updates within the Nougat family tree for the time being. The developer preview of Android O that’s out now, with a rather short list of supported devices, is not suitable for daily use just yet, according to Google. Those who really want to try the newest version of Android on their device will thus have to manually flash the factory images from Google.

The newest bleeding-edge Android updates normally come over-the-air for those on the Beta program, making it the easiest way to stay on the absolute edge of Google’s Android development. Automatic updates made the process even easier than using a custom ROM source-built from the newest Android. Conservative estimates say that Android O will likely end up being included in the program around May. Which unlikely to be a coincidence, is when Google is set to take to the stage during Google I/O 2017, where a number of Android and Google-related announcements will be made. In the meantime, those with a Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X, Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel C, or Nexus Player can check out the first version of Android O by flashing the factory images;

For those wondering what all the fuss is about, the first Android O developer preview that’s currently out for download doesn’t just bring a new API level for developers to shoot for, but brings a number of under-the-hood enhancements and user-facing tweaks and features, more than enough to be worthy of being called a bit more than an incremental upgrade. Developers can use icon masks to match the new round icon style being pushed in Material Design, users will enjoy better battery life and segmented notifications, and both users and developers will enjoy improved Chrome OS support by way of software integration and increased hardware support.