Each year, we receive updates from the major operating system, Android. 2020 brings no less and here’s what’s to come in Android 11 very soon. Each major update will bring a whole host of new features to make the user experience way better than it already is. Between major updates, you can also expect to receive a few regular upgrades, but these won’t hold huge improvements. Most the time, these will fix a few bugs or errors in the system.

Release Date

As with all previous Android releases, we won’t expect the next generation to be available to all users at once. They do tend to rollout the systems over a few months. This allows any bugs to be fixed as well as the smooth download of the system. The developer previews were released at the beginning of the year so we do have access to a few features already.

One thing we are certain of is that the announcement of Android 11 will take place on June 3^rd at the online Google IO 2020 event. This event usually takes place in May of each year however, due to the current pandemic, has been delayed and moved online. We’re also likely to hear about the new Pixels hitting the market later this year.

The rollout of Android 11 is expected to start in September, first being featured on the new Pixels. We will see beta versions begin to appear in July and update through to the official release. Rumours suggest that all Android users will be able to experience the new update sometime in 2021, starting with newer additions first. We’re sure by the end of 2021, all compatible devices will be able to try out Android 11.

Android 11 Features

As you may know, blue light is what causes issues in terms of tech devices. This light can deteriorate your eyesight over time, cause headaches and even affect your sleeping. A lot of different devices will allow you to reduce this light and even set times for this to be reduced and increased again. Many people will set this for darker hours. Well, Google has actually added a feature into Android 11 that allows you to do just that with Dark Mode. You will be able to schedule dark mode to come off and on for your decided hours.

Security and Privacy is something that operating systems are constantly improving. At the end of the day, your data is your data and you should choose who to share it with. You may have already noticed that when you first use an app, you have to grant permissions to use your camera, microphone or locations. From there, you can select yes or no. With the new update on Android, you will now be able to select ‘Just this once’. This will then mean the app has to ask permission every single time you use it, putting you in charge of your data.

Wireless charging is something that has been a huge help to many different consumers and is just getting even more precise. That being said, everyone with a wireless charging pad knows the pain of putting your phone down to go to sleep and waking up to no charge. Usually, this is because you haven’t aligned your phone properly. Android 11 will bring a new notification, alerting you when your phone isn’t going to charge correctly. This way, you can readjust the phone and make sure you’re fully charged in the morning.

What we already know

Everything we already know about Android 11 comes from the developer previews, available since the beginning of the year. These allow app developers to make sure that their apps are compatible with the new system. Of course, releasing a preview is going to allow for quite a few leaks. To avoid revealing the entire system, Google will only make the details needed to improve apps available. A lot of the new features will not be shown on any previews until the beta versions start to rollout. Hopefully, this isn’t too far away.

Something we can be sure Android is working on is the compatibility of 5G with their system. Seeing as 5G has grown hugely in the last few months, they’re going to want to make sure everything works smoothly. They also need to figure out how to allow apps to distinguish between 4G, 5G and Wi-Fi connections. This would adjust speeds and processing as necessary, allowing for a high quality experience. Of course, developers would then need to ensure their apps can read this. Hopefully, this will stop you draining any data.

We also already know that the messaging app will have a slight upgrade in terms of notifications too. For a few updates now, Androids have shown a small bubble when there is an ongoing conversation through apps such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. This will sit at the side of the screen so you can access the chat with a simple tap. Android will be bringing this feature to their own messaging services in the new update. This makes the user experience far smoother and simpler.

You’ll want to make sure you’ve got one of the best Android phones to match with the new Android 11 system. Older Android phones may not be compatible with newer versions of Android. Most smartphones will receive 2-3 years of major updates before no longer having access.