Google is preparing to roll out the third beta of Android 16 later today. If all goes well, this should be the last beta to bring UI changes and new features. It should be followed by one more beta in April before the stable release arrives in June.
The first beta brought adaptive apps (whose UI scales to any screen size and shape, which will be a boon for foldables), Live Updates (dynamic notifications for ongoing activities), a new video codec (Advanced Professional Video with up to 8K @ 2Gbps bitrate support), native night scene detection for cameras and more.
The second beta added hybrid auto exposure, precise color temperature adjustments and support for Ultra HDR images in the HEIC format (Ultra HDR support for AVIF images is in the works too). Developers gained access to Android Graphics Shading Language, which enables advanced graphical effects. Beta 2 also introduced more granular health and fitness permissions.
We don’t know what new features will be introduced with Android 16 Beta 3 yet, but it should be the last batch. All of the new additions to Android 16 will be showcased at the upcoming Google I/O, which is scheduled for May 20-21.
