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“Launcher shortcuts could be a game-changing feature and would instantly appeal to power users”
Within a month of surprising the world with the Developer Preview of Android N, Google has now released an update. While the preview doesn’t bring as many features as the first one, which offered improved notifications, UI changes in quick toggles and split-screen, it does bring some interesting capabilities, along with bug fixes.
The new build brings support for Vulkan 3D rendering API to the platform. This will allow for better and smoother performance with respect to graphics while gaming. Samsung is the first manufacturer to support Vulkan in its latest flagship duo, the S7 (review) and S7 edge (review), and more manufacturers are expected to make their devices compatible with it.
The most interesting feature in the Developer Preview 2 is launcher shortcuts – the ability to create shortcuts to initiate certain actions directly in the app. Though developers would need to build such support in their apps, the feature is potentially game-changing as it would save a lot of time and effort while performing frequently-used actions.
Lastly, Google is updating its emoji design. Unlike earlier, where the emoji were generic, the new emoji will be more human-like.
Just like the last time, only owners of Nexus devices, namely the 6P (review), 5X (review), 6 or 9 along with the Pixel C, will be able to download the factory images from the official website. Users of these devices will also be able to download the over-the-air update, if they’ve opted for the Android Beta program.