Android 11 rumor roundup: Here's what we know so far
Android 11 is just around the corner. With Google I/O already getting teased for May 12-14, we now know for sure that Android 11 will be unveiled at the dev-centric event, but it’s more probable that Google would actually release it ahead of the summit. Hey, at least that’s what happened in the past few years, so don’t blame us for believing Google will reiterate this tradition in 2020 as well.
First order of business – the name
As you most certainly know by now, Android dropped the sweet dessert names last year, when what was supposed to be Android Q launched as Android 10. An era ended, but for all the right reasons, as few desserts utilize the back rows of the alphabet. A welcome change that made things simpler — instead of wondering what the name of Android R will end up being, we are now fully focused on the features that Android 11 will bring to your phone. See, that was way easier.
Android’s take on AirDrop – Nearby Sharing
Android is a fairly open operating system that allows users to directly send files from one device to another in a variety of ways, namely Bluetooth or Wi-Fi Direct, but so far, there hasn’t been a unified standard that could rival Apple’s AirDrop in terms of usability and ease of use. Rumors have been floating around that Samsung is working on a so-called Quick Share feature to rival Apple’s AirDrop, and it seems that Google is doing the same thing in Android 11. Hands-on videos of the feature are already circulating, and so far it seems to work quite similarly to AirDrop: selecting files in your Files app and tapping the share button, then selecting Nearby Sharing opens an interface similar to AirDrop. Reportedly, the feature won’t be a Pixel-exclusive and could potentially be available on the vast multitude of Android devices with Google Play Services on board (sorry, Huawei!). Of course, Nearby Sharing isn’t a terribly original feature, but it would be a mighty useful one.
Here’s how Nearby Sharing works in real life:
No more 4GB limit for video-recording
Airplane mode might no longer affect Bluetooth headphones
Android 11 release date
Ever since 2016, Android has been officially released in the August-September period. There’s no reason to believe that Android 11 won’t be released in the same time window later this year. Of course, Pixels will get it first, with all other Android devices afterwards.
But does this mean we will only get our first glimpse of Android 11 in August? Not at all! In fact, for the past few years, beta versions of Android have arrived in early spring, often surprisingly and without any hint or announcement on Google’s end. Supposedly, this would happen in 2020 as well, and while we don’t really know if we should expect it in February, or March, or April, we are fairly certain that the first beta will arrive way ahead of the Google I/O 2020 dev summit between May 12 and May 14.