Google has released the Android 12 Developer Preview 1 for the eligible Pixel phones. As the name implies, the version is currently meant for the developers only so that they can try out the upcoming OS first and make their apps compatible. The stable and furnished version will be fed to the users in the second half of this year.

Google has also announced the roadmap for Android enthusiasts so that they stay in the loop and know the latest developments around Android 12.

As evident from the roadmap, the Android 12 final release will arrive after August, somewhere around Q3 or even the start of Q4. The Beta releases of Android 12 will start from May where the users who want to try out the new features before a final release can participate.

The Developer Previews start from February 2021 and end in April. As Google describes, it will continue to deliver updates at each development milestone. Each will include SDK tools, system images, emulators, API references, and API diffs.

Addressing the developers further, Google explains that just like the year, the Android 12 includes an important milestone called “Platform Stability,” which will arrive in August 2021 at the Beta 4 stage. This milestone will reflect that Android 12 has reached the final/stable stage and the developers should buckle up and plan their final testing and app compatibilities.

The Developer Preview includes system images for a variety of Pixel devices - Pixel 5, Pixel 4a 5G, Pixel 4a, Pixel 4/4XL, Pixel 3a/3a XL, or Pixel 3/3XL. Users with a developing background and those who know technicalities can try out the new upgrade by following the dedicated page that Google has announced.

Together with this, Google is also releasing the first Android 12 preview for Android TV. This will bring new features to the TV.

The Android 12 DP1 brings along a lot of changes in performance, security, and user experience. The tech publication took a deep dive into the first developer preview of the latest Android OS upgrade to offer you an idea of what’s coming. The post includes many technicalities and refers to the codes found in the first Developer Preview. But it also gives a good insight to users like us who want to know what Android 12 is bringing to the table.

Android 12 will offer more transparency and control while keeping Android devices secure. For instance, it will offer users more command and hold on how cookies can be used across sites. As observed by the tech publication, Google is also introducing compatible media transcoding with Android12. The aim is to provide transcoding support to the apps that do not support the HEVC format, an improvement in quality and compression over older codecs.

Android 12 will also bring improvements to the user experience by optimizing foreground services. Google is also doing some touch-ups around how we receive notifications. Google aims to offer faster and smoother updates for both developers and users. There are changes to Notifications UI as well. Android 12 is also bringing improvements to full-screen gestures.