Android Beta program to expand beyond your Nexus
Inside the code for Android N preview it's become apparent that the Android Beta Program will be expanding. Expanding beyond the bounds of the original device collection Android Beta was set for, other manufacturers will be getting in on the fun. Which manufacturers, you might ask? Why, the ones that you demand become a part of this program, of course! You'll have to be especially vocal about this one.
If you have an Android device – or plan on buying one in the near future – you know you're almost certainly beholden to the manufacturer and the carrier with which your device is associated when it comes to updates. They don't always happen quickly. Most of the time they're slow.
HEY YOU: Do not download Android N
When it comes to the Android Beta Program, that's just not true.
What is the Android Beta Program, you might be wondering? Why, it's a program started by Google to allow Android updates to happen quicker than they've ever happened before. The only down side to the program is the hardware.
The hardware that can be part of the Android Beta program is extremely limited. At the moment it's only Nexus devices – and only the most recent Nexus devices, at that.
What an expansion would do is allow more than just Google's best buddies (the Nexus smartphone and tablet family) to take part in the Android update fun.
If the newest version of Android has anything to say about it, that may well be happening very soon. Thanks to one intrepid Reddit user we see that within the code for Android N, one line suggests that "Accompanying Android Beta program for consumers, starting later in the preview — more supported devices, including devices from OEM partners — seamless OTAs for your devices, from initial release to final N release without flashing."
Easy peasy!
We'll be watching you, Motorola. Samsung. Sony. HTC. LG. And the rest. Time to join the update party. It's going to be party time.