Android O Beta Is Coming Soon, Says Google, as Android Nougat Beta Ends

Android O beta will launch soon, said Google just days ahead of its I/O 2017 developer conference as it announced the end of the Android Nougat beta. On the Android beta website, the company said the site will be updated next when the Android O Beta Programme begins, and gave developers and Android enthusiasts directions to downloading the full OTA image of Android Nougat on their devices.

Android Nougat beta ends

Google says on the website, "Thank you for your interest in the Android Beta Programme. The beta for Android Nougat has concluded, and all devices that were opted in have been updated to the current public version, If you are still running a beta version of Nougat you may download the latest full OTA image for your device and sideload it. This will not wipe your device. We'll update this site when the Android O Beta Programme begins."

Android O features

The Android O Developer Preview, released in late March for Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus Player, Pixel and Pixel XL, brings in new features such as tighter control on background limits for apps to deliver better battery life, Notification Channels, and Adaptive Icons. Android O users can also look forward to support for Autofill apps, native picture-in-picture mode, wide-gamut colour for apps, high-resolution audio, improved keyboard navigation, and faster Android runtime.

To date, Google has been providing Beta versions of Android Nougat (versions 7.x) alongside early "Developer Preview" versions of Android O which is touted as the next major Android version.

"But many Pixel and Nexus users are waiting for the Android O beta as the developer preview is not really intended for public consumption," BetaNews reported on Monday.

Google is expected to unveil its plans for Android O features and functionality at the conference in San Francisco this month.