What is Android P?
Android P is the next version of the android OS that will follow the most recent Android Oreo, which Google is still trying to get to their users. Only 1.1 percent of Android phones are using Oreo, but the company is already hard at work on Android P, which we’re starting to hear the first rumors about.
The notch is coming
One of the main goals of Android P is to ”improve the look of the software” to better appeal to existing iPhone users in hopes that they’ll make the switch over to Google’s platform. A flashy redesign could help Android phones stand out this year, especially as Apple is said to be putting its own major redesign on hold until next year to focus on performance and reliability in the future iOS 12. Reportedly Google will be designing the updated operating system to better integrate camera notches, such as the ones found on the Essential Phone and iPhone X, as more and more hardware manufacturers embrace reduced-bezel designs.
Other features
Android P is rumored to also offer better support for different form factors of Android devices, with features like multiple screens (like the ZTE Axon M) and foldable displays (which Samsung is rumored to be working on for later this year).
Google is supposedly planning to further embed Assistant into Android: the company is reportedly considering allowing third-party developers to directly integrate Assistant into their own apps. Assistant might also be added to the omnipresent Google search bar on the home screen, although neither of these decisions is apparently finalized yet.
Android P release date
Google will officially reveal the latest version of Android at its I/O developer's conference from May 8 through May 10, so expect to hear more about the OS then.