Google sets date for Android 11 Beta Launch event

Google on Wednesday said it will release the first public beta of Android 11 on June 3, about a month later than previously anticipated. Google plans to roll out the new release with an online developer event it’s calling #Android11: the Beta Launch Show. 

The tech giant initially timed the beta release for early May, to coincide with the annual Google I/O developer conference. After the event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Google intended to keep the Android 11 beta release on schedule. 

“Our industry moves really fast, and we know that many of our device-maker partners are counting on us to help them bring Android 11 to new consumer devices later this year,” Android VP David Burke wrote in a blog post. “We also know that many of you have been working to prioritize early app and game testing on Android 11, based in part on our Platform Stability and other milestones.  At the same time, all of us are collaborating remotely and prioritizing the well-being of our families, friends, and colleagues.”

Moving the release schedule back by about a month “gives everyone a bit more room but keeps us on track for final release later in Q3,” he wrote. 

The beta release on June 3 will include the final SDK and NDK APIs. At that time, Google will also open up Google Play publishing for apps targeting Android 11.  

The Beta 2 release, when Google expects to reach Platform Stability, is now slated for July. The Beta 3 release, including release candidate builds for final testing, is now scheduled for August.

“By bringing you the final APIs on the original timeline while shifting the other dates, we’re giving you an extra month to compile and test with the final APIs, while also ensuring that you have the same amount of time between Platform Stability and the final release, planned for later in Q3,” Burke wrote. 

The June 3 online event will feature a keynote with Burke and Stephanie Cuthbertson, Android senior director of product management. There will also be a live QA, as well as several technical talks that were initially planned for Google I/O, covering topics like Jetpack Compose, Android Studio, and Google Play. 

In the meantime, Google on Wednesday released a fourth developer preview of Android 11, focused on performance improvements and iterative updates to ensure app compability. 

Article source: https://www.zdnet.com/article/google-sets-date-for-android-11-beta-launch-event/#ftag=RSSbaffb68