The fourth Developer Preview of Android O with near-final system images is now rolling out to users and will be offered to all eligible devices in the coming days, Google’s Vice President of Engineering David Burke confirmed on Monday. All developers that are already enrolled in the Android Beta Program will soon be prompted to download the latest experimental build of Google’s operating system and everyone else can still sign up for the initiative by following the banner below. Anyone who’s unwilling to wait for the new software package to reach their device(s) can always opt to flash the newly released system images manually. Android O Developer Preview 4 arrived more than six weeks after Developer Preview 3, with the Alphabet-owned company taking longer than expected to roll out its last pre-release version of the highly anticipated OS.
Just like the previous three builds, the fourth Developer Preview of Android O is primarily meant to assist developers with optimizing their apps for the upcoming iteration of Android. While the overall package represents a near-final release, all of the system behaviors included within it are finalized and there will be no surprises further down the road; if your app is working with this particular build, it will be compatible with the software that hits the stable channel in the coming weeks. The update also ships with final, level 26 application programming interfaces (APIs) that the Mountain View, California-based tech giant already debuted in early June, allowing Android developers weeks to test their creations. Save for the new system images, Google is also looking to roll out a number of minor updates for the Android Software Development Kit (SDK), Android Emulator, and various developer tools, all of which are set to be distributed by the end of the week. The last developer preview of the system is rolling out simultaneously with the Android 26.0.0 Support Library, Burke confirmed. Finally, a revised version of the Android Testing Support Library is now set to introduce a broad range of new functionalities like the Multiprocess Espresso, the company revealed, promising that more information on the matter will be revealed shortly.
Google’s software engineers recently revealed that Android O is still nameless and reiterated that the operating system is set to hit the stable channel later this summer, presumably at some point in August. The Pixel, Pixel XL, and compatible Nexus smartphones will be the first to receive the stable version of Android O, with other devices being expected to follow in the coming weeks.
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