Android 16’s first public beta is out | Infinium-tech

After a pair of developer betas, Google has officially started seeding the first public beta of Android 16. The new release should be available as an OTA update for Google Pixel devices (Pixel 6 and UP) enrolled in the Android Beta program.

Adaptive Apps is one of the headlining features of the Android 16 public beta. Google will ensure apps scale and behave properly regardless of your phone’s screen size, orientation, or form factor.

According to Google’s press release, apps targeting API level 36 will need to support resizable windows on screens with a width of 600DP or greater. Developers will be restricted from locking specific app window scaling and orientation. This feature should allow for better app layout on foldable devices.

Live updates are Google’s take on Apple’s live activities introduced with the iPhone 14 Pro series. These are dynamic notifications for ongoing activities like navigation, ride-hailing and food delivery. Google has implemented a progress style notification template with customizable icons, progress tracking milestones, and journey states. Samsung implemented a similar approach with its Now Bar in One UI 7.

The new Android 16 beta brings native support for the Advanced Professional Video (APV) codec for “professional-level high-quality video recording and post-production”, supporting up to 8K resolution at 2Gbps bitrates. Google is also introducing a native Night Mode scene detection for cameras, enhanced vertical text rendering, and accessibility enhancements.

Google will pursue at least three more Android 16 public betas before seeing the final version of the platform in Q2. We’ll see a major beta release with the new API in Q2 and a minor release in Q4 to iron out any remaining bugs.

Android 16 is confirmed to launch earlier than previous versions, with the final release coming sometime in March.

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