Android 11 developer review: What's new?

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We're no longer in the delicious land of candy, cookies, and sweets when it comes to Android version names. Like most other software, Google's mobile operating system now goes by dry, numeric monikers, and we just got our first developer preview of Android 11.

In addition to 5G support, Android 11 also brings substantial updates in terms of security, application features provided through APIs, and compatibility with existing applications. Of course, this is only the first developer preview, and user-facing features may become more interesting by the time we enter the public beta in May. The full version will not be released until the third quarter.

Google's timeline for Android 11.

How to get the Android 11 developer preview

If you’re just a curious end user and not a bona fide app developer, it’s probably best not to try installing the preview just yet. For one thing, you won’t see anything new unless you’re a developer of an app that uses the new APIs added in Android 11. You’ll need to wipe everything on your device and flash a system image file.

Android 11 emulator on Windows 10 (left), one-time location permission (center), phone bubble (right)

When the beta drops in May, interested users will be able to install Android 11 over the air without having to flash a system image. You'll also need a Google Pixel 2 or later, though it's also possible to set up the system in an emulator on your computer (which is how we tested this article).

To install the preview on a compatible phone, you must download the OS image file and flash it to your device. You can find instructions on this Google Developers page.

New support for 5G

5G is all the rage in the tech world, and as the world's leading provider of web content, as well as the devices and browsers that access the web, Google is getting in on the action. While its latest Pixel phones don't support 5G yet, you can bet that will change.

Meanwhile, Android 11 (so far) adds two 5G APIs developers can use in their apps: the Dynamic Metering API and the Bandwidth Estimator API. The first lets apps deliver higher-quality video to unmetered 5G-connected devices. The second lets the system determine the connection bandwidth, freeing apps from having to perform their own connection speed tests.

Neural Networks

If there's anything close to the popularity of 5G, it's AI and machine learning, and Android 11's support for neural networks fits right in with that. Most AI machine learning happens on powerful servers, but mobile operating systems will allow apps to use mobile hardware to run these computationally intensive operations.

Three new features help developers achieve this goal: Quality of Service API, Memory Domain API and extended quantization support. The first provides the required resources for operations, the second optimizes memory operations for continuous execution, and the third enables smaller and faster computing models.

Privacy and Security

One new privacy option for apps is an "Only this time" option when you allow an app to access your location, microphone, or camera. Another big privacy move involves storage permissions. Apps will be able to request batch permission for a bunch of media files, as well as new requirements to access root directories in internal and external storage.

Security options are enhanced with new support for biometrics using the BiometricPrompt API, platform hardening through a new “Sanitizer,” and new secure storage capabilities including support for IDs like mobile driver’s licenses.

New screen types

Android 11 adds support for two new screen types: pinhole and waterfall. The new API basically allows developers to tell their apps to use that camera pinhole on certain phones and display edges on waterfall-style screens, like we can see in the Oppo prototype below.

Oppo waterfall screen prototype

Notification bubbles

Facebook's Android app has long offered persistent Chat Heads. Android 10 introduced them for built-in apps like Phone and Messaging, and now any other app developer can add similar functionality using a new API. If you're one of those people who can't stand bubbles, the API requires apps to allow them to opt-in, letting users decide for themselves whether they want bubbles or not. The messaging app will also get a new notification shade dedicated to ongoing conversations. Inline replies to notifications will also support inserting images in replies.

Camera and Photo Updates

As its Pixel smartphones continue to compete with Apple iPhones for the best camera options, it's no surprise that Google has added more camera and photo support in Android 11. New features include bokeh, decoders, HEIF animated drawables, native image decoders, silence during capture, and HEIF drawables. The last one is a more efficient replacement for the animated GIF feature.

Low latency options

To support the Stadia online gaming platform as well as video streaming apps, Android 11 adds low latency support in the new MediaCodec API. HDMI also has new support for low latency mode, which is useful for use on external monitors and TVs.

These are some of the highlights of Android 11 based on the first developer preview. There are many more new tools and conveniences for developers, and we will certainly see more features for them and end users as the operating system is fully released later this year.