Android P Preview Download: Wild New Features Incoming

Today Google released the first Android P developer preview, and with it a whole new collection of next-gen features. In this preview for the next major operating system from Google, Android prepared itself for the next generation in mobile hardware. As such, it includes oddities like support for two OR MORE physical cameras, HDR VP9 Video, HEIF image compression, and display cutout support – that's support for a notch, a split, or even a set of extra-curved corners (like in Pixel 2.)

To attain access to this first build of the developer preview for Android P, head over to Android Developers and download the correct system image. Users will want to keep in mind that flashing this system image deletes all data from the device. If you're not all about that, don't even THINK about flashing this image.

In fact, if you're hesitant for any reason, skip this build. This build is out about as early in the development process as possible, making way for app developers to create their apps with optimizations for P well in advance of its release. This software is not going to make your smartphone run faster – in fact it'll probably make your smartphone go slower. We don't know how it'll work on each platform just yet, and Google makes no promises as such.

For a bit of information for the Android P Developer Preview, have a peek at the video above. This information is presented by Dan Galpin from Google – part of the Android Developers crew.

OF NOTE: This is just part of the bigger picture. Google's noted today that they'll have "lots more to share" at Google I/O in May of this year.

The feature I'm most excited for is Indoor Positioning with Wi-Fi RTT. This will allow indoor maps to work a whole lot better than they do with GPS alone. Using RTT APIs to measure the distance to nearby WiFi APs (access points,) we'll be able to walk around the Mall of America without getting lost. Not that it's easy to get lost in a big squared circle, really... but still! Pretty neato.

Stay tuned as we run down some more next-gen features that'll be included with Android P later this year. We've got a whole mess of them coming sooner than later, for devices of all sorts. Unless your device is running iOS – if that's the case, you'll be out of luck here.