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Android 12 Released to Developers

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Feb 18, 2021, 4:50 PM by Rich Brome @rbrome.bsky.social

Google has released the first preview version of Android 12 to developers. As a developer release, it focuses on APIs and other developer-focused aspects, rather than necessarily representing the final look and feature set for consumers. Several new features are notable, though:

Project Mainline continues to expand, with Google adding the Android Runtime (ART) module to the list of software that Google can update directly through the Play Store, instead of requiring a full OS update approved by manufacturers and carriers. ART handles compiling app code into processor instructions.
Better support for newer image and video formats. Specifically, support for the AV1 image file format (AVIF), and better support for the HEVC video format.
Rich content insertion, which makes it easier for apps to support copy-and-paste of styled text and multimedia. The new API for rich content also supports drag-and-drop.
Haptic-coupled audio effect, which lets apps more easily add haptic effects by linking them to an audio channel.
Multi-channel audio, including support for spatial information encoded with MPEG-H, and enabling apps to mix and process up to 24 audio channels.
Finally, the Notification UI has been updated to make "custom" notifications look and work more like other notification types.

This first developer release is "for developers only and not intended for daily or consumer use". Android 11 reached this milestone at almost exactly the same point last year. Google's planned timeline for Android 12 shows public betas starting on May, with final release no earlier than August.

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