Android 12 Developer Preview: What's New

Android 12 Developer Preview 3 Released

Google has officially released the third developer preview of Android 12, its newest mobile operating system iteration, precisely as scheduled. This marks the final preview build before the platform transitions into its beta phase.

Beta Phase and Developer Focus

The beta release is anticipated to coincide with the availability of over-the-air updates for individuals beyond developers who wish to test the new features. Currently, installation requires developers to flash a device image onto compatible Pixel devices.

Google emphasizes that this is a crucial time for developers to initiate compatibility testing. Ensuring app readiness is paramount as the platform aims for stability by August 2021.

Key New Features in Preview 3

This preview introduces several enhancements, with notable additions being new capabilities for developers to implement advanced haptic feedback and redesigned app launch animations.

Enhanced App Launch Experience

The updated app launch process is a significant visual change. It transitions from launch to a splash screen displaying the app icon, and finally to the application itself.

Google states that while maintaining standardized design elements, the new system offers customization options to preserve individual app branding. A basic launch experience is enabled by default, providing a foundation for developers to build upon.

Immersive Haptic Feedback

The introduction of rich haptic feedback aims to deliver more engaging experiences. This feature is designed for both gaming, offering immersive effects, and productivity, providing attentional cues.

Additional Improvements

Further enhancements include a redesigned call notification template. This new template is intended to improve the visibility and scannability of incoming and ongoing call notifications.

Improvements have been made to the Neural Networks API, optimizing performance for machine learning tasks.
New APIs now support a broader range of ultra high-resolution camera sensors.

RenderScript Deprecation

Google is phasing out its RenderScript API, encouraging developers to adopt GPU compute frameworks such as Vulkan and OpenGL for computationally demanding operations.

A comprehensive list of all changes included in this release can be found here.