Thanks to the work Google has done with Project Treble and the dedication from select smartphone OEMs, we have seen more devices receiving an early beta build of the next version of Android than ever before. OnePlus and Essential have been very active in this regard, but let’s not forget how dedicated Sony is to the developer process. The company has just announced that their second version of the Android P beta is now available to those who own the Sony Xperia XZ2.
Just to clear up some confusion, this is the new update that we spoke about last week. Some people are getting the names and version numbers confused. This is technically Developer Preview 3 for Android P, but the first release was rough and wasn’t available through the typical Android Beta program. This is why Android P Developer Preview 2 was called the Android P Beta 1 and why this latest release is Android P Beta 2. The new update comes with the build number PDP-PKQ1.180513.001-10128 and Sony has fixed the following issues:
- Small difference in max vs min volume during call
- Microphone stops working
- Wireless Charging on XZ2 not fully recognized
- SD-cards formatted with exFAT are not recognized
- Nightlight is not triggered correctly when using sunset to sunrise setting
- GPS not working on some units
- 4G+ can cause the modem to crash
- Tethering/Wifi Hotspot makes the system unstable
Remember though, this is still considered a beta so there are some bugs still in the system. The current list of known issues from this latest Android P beta update includes:
- Camera quality not on par with Xperia O SW
- BT
- LDAC delivered but not working properly -> Disable LDAC profile in BT device
- Intermittent no sound in phone calls (headsets)
- Storage MTP – Cannot transfer files or create new folders on external sd card
- Airplane mode -> Need to enter SIM Pin after enabled and disabled Airplane mode
The Android P Beta for the Xperia XZ2 includes the following features:
- Indoor Positioning with Wi-Fi RTT
- Display cutout support
- Improved messaging notifications
- Multi-camera API
- ImageDecoder for bitmaps and drawable
- HDR VP9 Video, HEIF image compression, and Media APIs
- Data cost sensitivity in JobScheduler
- Neural Networks API 1.1
- Autofill improvements
- Open Mobile API for NFC payments and secure transactions
Visit the Android Beta website to enroll your Xperia XZ2 in the program. You should receive the OTA update shortly after.
Source: Sony