The Android development team has just announced the release of the second Android 15 development preview.
Satellite communication functionality has been updated with new user interface elements to provide a better user experience. Applications can also now use ServiceState.isUsingNonTerrestrialNetwork() to detect when a device is connected via satellite, and there is now support for sending and receiving messages via SMS/MMS or RCS applications via satellite.
The NFC experience has also been updated; Apps can now request that the device go into a mode where it listens to NFC readers but doesn’t send a response.
The PdfRenderer APIs have also been updated with advanced features such as rendering of password-protected files, annotations, form editing, search and selection. APIs have also been moved to a different module where they can now be updated using Google Play System Updates, allowing updates to be decoupled from platform releases.
Audio recognition has also been improved, with more fine-tuned options to automatically switch between languages. Hopefully this will reduce dropped words when switching, which has been a problem since the feature was introduced in the previous version of Android. EXTRA_LANGUAGE_SWITCH_INITIAL_ACTIVE_DURATION_TIME_MILLIS always switches to the start of an audio session, and EXTRA_LANGUAGE_SWITCH_MATCH_SWITCHES allows developers to limit the number of language switches in a session.
Other new developer features added in this preview release include:
- Detailed controls for line breaks with TextView
- Support for more precise IntentFilter resolution
- Extended support for OpenJDK API
- Ability to display applications on the title screen of flip devices
- Screen capture detection
- Ability for apps to customize Do Not Disturb rules
For performance updates, the team released the ApplicationStartInfo API, which provides details on whether the application was started by a broadcast, content provider, job, backup, run completed, alarm, or activity.
Other updates include improvements to the Stopped State function for the PackageManager, more detailed application size information, the introduction of the mediaProcessing Foreground Service type, and new SQLite APIs.
This release also introduces several media enhancements, such as the ability to control HDR image space, automatic volume adjustments to compensate for volume differences between media, and the deprecated Virtualizer class.
“Android continues to add features that allow your apps to take advantage of the device’s superior hardware, including the latest telecommunications features, premium media capabilities, brilliant displays, foldable/rotating form factors, and AI processing,” Dave Burke, VP of engineering for Android, wrote in blog post.