Google has just announced the very first Android 17 Beta build, the so-called Android 17 Beta 1. Google says that this build “continues our work for more adaptable Android apps, introduces significant enhancements to camera and media capabilities, new tools for optimizing connectivity, and expanded profiles for companion devices.”
Google ditches ‘Developer Preview’ builds, adds a continuous Canary channel instead
Google has decided to replace its traditional “Developer Preview” with a continuous Canary channel, as announced last year. There are three benefits to this “always-on” model, Google says. The first one is Faster Access. Thanks to that, features and APIs land in Canary as soon as they pass internal testing, and there’s no waiting for a quarterly release anymore.
The second benefit is better stability. Google says that early “battle-testing” in Canary results in a more polished Beta experience. The last benefit Google mentioned is easier testing. Canary supports OTA updates, so flashing is not necessary anymore. As a separate update channel, it also integrated with CI workflows more easily.
Google also announced that it will be moving quickly from the first Android 17 Beta to platform stability. That level is expected to arrive next month, in March. Several months after that, we’ll get our final, stable build, says Google.
Android 17 will continue to get updates in a series of quarterly releases
The company also confirmed that it plans for Android 17 to “continue to get updates in a series of quarterly releases.” The upcoming release in Q2 is the one where app-breaking behavior is planned, as Google plans to have a minor SDK release in Q4 with additional APIs and features.
Now that we got the technicalities out of the way, what’s new here? There are three notable features that Google highlighted in this release. The first one is the next phase of Google’s Adaptive Roadmap. Google plans to help developers build apps that work seamlessly across all devices. Developers will not be able to opt out of orientation and resizability restrictions.
Performance improvements & new media and camera controls
The second addition that the company highlighted is ‘Performance Improvements.’ Android 17 will bring several performance improvements, which include new generational garbage collection that optimizes for lower CPU costs and custom notification restrictions to reduce memory usage.
The last change highlighted by the company is new media and camera controls. Android 17 Beta 1 adds new “professional-grade tools to media and camera apps for a consistent listening experience across apps/hardware and seamless transitions between camera modes.”
The company did mention a ton more tidbits in its announcement and went into more details, in case you’re interested.
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