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Asus is now accepting sign-ups for its ZenFone 7 Android 11 closed beta program
A late bloomer in the ZenFone family
Asus released its first Android 11 beta build last week — not for the latest ZenFone 7 line but yesteryear’s ZenFone 6. It’s not typical for companies to treat their older models with latest Android updates before their current flagships, but nothing seems to be going straight in 2020, so what the heck. The ZenFone 7 and 7 Pro are at last catching up with their predecessor as they’re now getting their own Android 11 beta program, which you can sign up for right away.
Google just released Android 11, and many manufacturers have already started beta programs ahead of launching the new OS on their devices. Asus has just joined the list, as a post on the official ZenFone 6 community forum reveals.
Google's habit of pushing out bug-fixing releases for the Android 11 Developer Previews and Betas continues. Today we're getting Android 11 Beta 2.5, which delivers a small pile of bug fixes on top of the existing Beta 2 release, including the long-awaited fix for the low-brightness flickering issue that affected the Pixel 4.
Android 11 Beta 2 officially lands today. For developers, that means we've reached a milestone called "Platform Stability," so everything they need to care about when it comes to making apps compatible is now final — the platform won't change before the stable release in Q3. For consumers, that means there's only one more beta before Android 11 is formally released, and we'll probably see a few more features and tweaks in this latest version.
Google Messages appears to be rolling out support for bubble chatheads as provided for in Android 11 Beta 1. The company promised this adaptation a few weeks ago.
After many delays, the Android 11 Beta finally launched last week. While the software already feels relatively stable compared to the earlier developer previews, there are still some quirks that need to be worked out, like video playback problems and mispositioned text entry boxes. One issue won't plague us adventurous beta users any longer: Contactless payments through Google Pay are finally available.
OnePlus Camera v5.4.10 beta introduces Quick Share, video capture shortcut, and new filters (APK Download)
Sharing to social media is now as easy as a long press and a swipe in the viewfinder
The latest OnePlus Camera beta (version 5.4.10) is all about speed. Faster sharing, fast burst mode photos, and faster video capture are among the new features, as well as a few additional filters that make use of the color filter camera on the OnePlus 8 Pro. First available with the Android 11 Beta on that phone and the regular OnePlus 8, it also works on those phones running Android 10 if you sideload the app.
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Google dropped the first Android 11 Beta yesterday, which means functionality is getting close to what we can expect in the final, stable version. This is usually the stage at which other OEMs are brought on board so developers and enthusiasts can install the Android Beta on devices other than Google Pixels, and now Oppo, Xiaomi, and OnePlus are announcing support for several of their phones.
Android 11 Beta for OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro now available for download
You don't need a Pixel to experience the next version of Android
For the last few years, Google and its partners have leveraged Project Treble to get preview versions of Android on more smartphones. For Android 11, Pixels have been the only game in town until now. OnePlus is now offering downloads of Android 11 for the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro, but don't expect something stable enough for your daily driver.
Facebook Messenger now uses Android 11’s Bubbles API for floating chat heads
Only the app’s beta version has so far made the jump
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With Chat Heads, Facebook Messenger found a nifty way to let you juggle multiple conversations without having to jump back and forth between apps. Since their introduction in 2013 (yep, those bubbles are that old), Facebook has so far relied on a custom overlay solution. But with the latest beta, Messenger is switching to Android 11’s native Bubbles API, though not a whole lot is going to change for end-users.
There have already been several Developer Previews of Android 11, and Google planned to release the first beta-quality build during an online 'Beta Launch Show' on June 3rd. That event was cancelled last week, due to widespread protests in the United States, but that hasn't stopped Google from rolling out the first Android 11 Beta to some Pixel owners — perhaps unintentionally.
Google cancels Android 11 Beta launch event, citing protests around US
There's no sign as to when it will be rescheduled, understandably
Android 11's scheduled June 3rd launch event has been cancelled. Google calls it a delay, but the reality is that whatever plans Google had for the launch have now been overshadowed by a national spread of protests spurred by the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minnesota earlier this week. While Google did not explicitly name the protests as the reason for the delay, the implication of the tweet, embedded below, was obvious.
Bonus Android 11 Developer Preview 4 lands today
We weren't expecting a fourth developer preview, but the schedule has changed
Today we're getting a surprise: Android 11 Developer Preview Four. Previously, Google said there would only be three Android 11 Developer Preview releases, but the company is making a few changes to its Android 11 release schedule, and that includes this unexpected additional developer preview. The next beta release has been moved to June 3rd, where it will be dropped as part of a new Beta Launch Show online event, details for which Google published earlier today. All of the following betas on the original schedule have also been pushed back a month.
Android 11 will have 3 developer previews and 3 betas before release
The "developer preview" is back for Android 11
You can grab the very first version of Android 11 today. The release timeline is similar to last year, but developers will get a little more support as they prepare for the new release. Google's VP of engineering Dave Burke has also called attention to the new distinction between preview and beta builds.