Google takes a rather unusual approach to updating Android. It's not even that the company prefers to first develop security patches for several months in advance in order to systematically release them, creating the illusion of real support, but that it sees sense in first releasing a new version Android and only then present it to the public. For this reason, beta versions of updates are usually released in February, and their official presentation takes place only in May. This year will obviously not be an exception to the rule.
Android 11 will be released on May 12. Now officially
Google will host the Google I / O 2020 conference, which usually presents new versions Android, between May 12-14. The event will traditionally be held next to the company's campus in Mountain View and, in addition to Android 11, obviously, a number of other new products will be presented within its framework. Most likely, Google will show the new Pixel 4a and Pixel 4a XL, which will replace the available Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL, talk about the innovations of branded applications and, perhaps, even launch some new service.
What will be presented at Google I / O 2020
Cosmos aligned. We'll be back at Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View for this year's #GoogleIO on May 12-14! pic.twitter.com/3bZqriaoi1
– Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) January 24, 2020
The main event of Google I / O 2020 will certainly be Android 11. Despite the fact that last year Google refused to use letters in the names of new versions of operating systems, the company itself prefers to name the update specifically Android R. In any case, this is confirmed by a leak from the Geekbench benchmark, where Pixel 4 was seen running on the basis of Android R. It is possible that Google uses the letter designation simply for internal use, and the release version will have only a serial number – we'll see.
The first beta version Android 11 is probably at least a month away, but we already know what to expect from the update. According to the confirmed information, Google plans to add the Scoped Storage mechanism to the new version of the OS, which creates isolated cells for applications in memory so that they can function only within them and not encroach on other software installed on the device. This will allow you to secure user data by preventing some programs from interfering with the work of others.
What's new in Android 11
In addition, Google expects to improve the work of the night theme by teaching it to turn on and off automatically depending on the position of the sun. If the sun has set and it has become dark outside, the night theme will turn on, and if the sun has risen and illuminated everything around, the night theme will turn off. At first glance, it may seem that there is nothing particularly remarkable in this mechanism, but the fact is that Google will have to train Android to take into account the astronomical movement of the earth around the sun and compare this information with the user's current location.
There may be other innovations, but their appearance has not yet been officially confirmed. This can be a function of creating scrolling screenshots, a standard screen recording tool, the ability to digitize documents and store them safely, as well as expanding gesture control settings. The last innovation, despite the seeming insignificance, should be extremely useful, since it will allow you to configure gestures in such a way that it is really convenient to use them to control the OS interface.