Google launches Android 15 Developer Preview for Pixel

If you are interested in the Android platform, you probably already know that Google often has the habit of naming Android versions after famous desserts, and with Android 15 that's probably not the case. must be an exception.

Android 15 will have the code name of a familiar dessert: 'Vanilla ice cream'

A series of rumors from many reputable sources are suggesting that Google's upcoming major Android update will be codenamed Vanilla Ice Cream, which has been revealed through a series of code changes in the Trade Federation (TradeFed/ TF) of this operating system. Although Google naming Android versions after desserts doesn't have any hidden meaning, it's clearly been an interesting tradition since the beginning of time. At the same time, it is also a very unique feature of this operating system platform.

While there are no details on what to expect with the Android update expected in 2024, the arrival of new features and interface tweaks is certain. indispensable. The changelog in TradeFed indicates that the Android testing framework has been updated with a new version to directly reference the Android 15 codename. However, this does not give us any insight into what What can we expect from the update?

 Overall, this initial reveal of 'Vanilla Ice Cream is simply a fun reminder of Android's tradition of using dessert-themed codenames for Google updates, and the There is some excitement among the Android user community who are curious about the new features and improvements that the update will bring. It's too early to talk about anything too certain, but let's wait and see what surprises Android 15 can bring us.

Google launches Android 15 Developer Preview for Pixel

Google rolled out Android 15 Developer Preview 1 yesterday. This is the 9th year Google has given a preview of Android's direction before its stable launch later this year.

Now in its fifth year, the preview will be conducted in February to give developers more time to provide feedback and update the app.

There are several highlights of Android 15, starting with Protecting user privacy and security. This includes the latest versions of Privacy Sandbox on Android and Health Connect, which include new types of fitness, nutrition and more data. Google also mentioned partial screen sharing and Casting from Android 14 QPR2.

Then there's the new FileIntegrityManager with APIs that 'exploit the power of the fs-verity feature in the Linux kernel'.

With fs-verity, files can be protected with custom cryptographic signatures, helping you ensure they are not tampered with or corrupted. This provides increased security, protecting against potential malware or unauthorized file modifications that could compromise application functionality or data.

 

In the Supporting creators section, In-app Camera Controls give developers 'more control over the camera hardware and its algorithms on supported devices'. Available extensions provide:

1. Low-light improvements give developers control to increase the brightness of the camera preview.
2. Advanced flash intensity adjustment allows precise control of flash intensity in both SINGLE and TORCH modes while taking photos.

Android 15 expands Universal MIDI Packets (UMP) support for virtual MIDI apps, allowing composition apps to control synthesizer apps as virtual MIDI 2.0 devices (as if they were USB MIDI 2.0 devices) .

To improve Performance and quality, Google will provide new Android Dynamic Performance Framework (ADPF) capabilities. These APIs allow games and other performance-intensive apps to 'interact more directly with the Android device's power and thermal systems'. Supported Android 15 devices allow:

1. Power saving mode for sessions suggests that the threads involved should prioritize power saving over performance, which is great for long-running background workloads.
2. Both GPU and CPU workloads can be reported in hint sessions, allowing the system to adjust CPU and GPU frequencies together to best meet workload needs.
3. Thermal headroom threshold (the difference between the normal temperature and the maximum temperature at which the device can still operate normally) to interpret possible thermal throttling behavior based on thermal headroom prediction.

Finally, in terms of Developer Productivity, Android 15 adds more OpenJDK APIs, 'including quality of life improvements around NIO buffering, streaming, security, etc.'

At launch, the Android 15 Developer Preview system image is available for Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6a, Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 7a, Pixel Tablet, Pixel Fold, Pixel 8, and Pixel 8 Pro, as well as Android Emulator.

After you manually install the preview, you will automatically receive future over-the-air updates for all future previews and Betas. 

Google also warns:

An issue when sideloading the Developer Preview 1 build can sometimes cause the device to display the message 'Device is corrupted' after the sideload is complete. To fix this issue, we recommend that developers flash stock images for device testing whenever possible instead of sideloading OTA system images.

If you're using Android 14 QPR3, Google recommends you move to Developer Preview 1 now.

 If not, you may fall into the period where the Android 14 Beta has a closer build date. This makes it impossible to directly access Android 15 Developer Preview without wiping your data.

DP1 (AP31.240119.016) with the official February 2024 security patch 'is for developer use only and is not intended for everyday use or general consumers'. Currently, it's only available via manual download and flashing/sideloading, with the Android Public Beta coming later in April.