In mid-February, we got our first taste of what Android 15 has in store for us as the first developer preview for the upcoming operating system was released. It came with some major changes to Android, such as Health Connect, partial screen sharing, and Dynamic Performance.
Well, that list is about to grow even longer, as the Android 15 Developer Preview 2 has just dropped and is ready to be installed on compatible Google Pixel smartphones. Let’s get into the new things that this new preview brings to the table.
We Finally Have Android 15 Developer Preview 2; What Are The New Features?
March is slowly rolling to a close, and with that, we’re a step closer to getting Android 15, especially as Google has just released the second developer preview for the OS. Most of the features that come with the developer previews are unsurprisingly focused more on developer use, but they’re pretty cool to read about as they’re bound to change how you interact with apps and the OS in the future.
Now then, several changes have been seen and they include the following:
- Support for satellite connectivity: In cases where you’re out of cellular range, your phone can save your life by talking directly to satellites to get you help. Currently, apart from newer iPhones, the only Android devices that support this feature can only be used in China. This will change soon, as Android 15 will get built-in software support for this feature (and the Pixels should be the first to debut with it).
- Screen recording detection: Do you know how Snapchat can tell you when someone screen records your chats or snaps? Android 15 will provide an easy way for developers to detect screen recordings and even let sensitive content be hidden in such recordings.
- Loudness control: It can be annoying when the loudness of content is drastically different, even without touching the volume button. Android 15 will support the CTA-2075 loudness standard (don’t ask me what that means), which will help provide a more normalized loudness level across different content.
- App archiving: With Android 15, you can temporarily archive apps in the Apps menu in Settings. Think of it like how some apps are put into Deep Sleep on Samsung phones after a long time of no use.
- Cover screen support for foldables: Developers can choose when they want their apps to be displayed on the cover screen of foldable phones.
- Audio sharing: Using Auracast, you can turn your Android 15-running smartphone into an audio source for multiple Bluetooth devices, allowing you to share audio rather easily.
You can install this developer preview on any Pixel device, including the Pixel 6 and after, as well as the Pixel Tablet and Pixel Fold.
When Can We Expect Android 15 To Be Released Officially?
The road to Android 15 is a long one. Currently, we’re in the phase of developer previews, and starting next month, we should begin to see Beta Releases, which will be closer to what we expect from the release version of Android 15.
The final release of Android 15 should be expected sometime after July when Google has achieved platform stability through the beta releases.
