Almost 3 months since it was first released, the fourth and final beta release of the upcoming version of Android, Q, is here.
Android Q beta 4 is available to developers using the Android Studio emulator to prep their applications for when it finally hits consumer devices later in the year.
As is always the case, it is also available for download and installation immediately on Google Pixel smartphones that are already enrolled in the Android beta programme either manually or over the air (OTA).
It is only last month that Google unveiled the third beta release and confirming that indeed, Android Q will be version 10 of Google’s popular mobile operating system.
With beta 4, Google has finally confirmed what we’ve always known: that Android Q is API level 29.
With the release of Android Q beta 4, app developers are now at liberty to publish apps targeting devices running Android Q and taking advantage of all the new features it brings to the Android experience to the Play Store. This is thanks to the availability of the software development kit (SDK) starting today.
As the non-developers among us will be quick to note, beta 4 is more of a release geared towards getting developers ready for the final rollout of Android 10 to everyone (basically, housekeeping) than introducing any new features.
While developers and enthusiasts who’ve been test-driving Android’s latest version on the Pixel are getting their fix immediately, what happens to the rest of us who have some of the other 15 smartphones that have had access to beta 3 (16 if we include Xiaomi’s latest)?
“Partners that are participating in the Android Q Beta programme will be updating their devices over the coming weeks,” Dave Burke, Google’s VP of Engineering notes in the blog post announcing Android Q beta 4.
I’ve been testing Android Q beta 3 on the Nokia 8.1 over the last one month and will provide an update if and when the device receives beta 4.
