Android 15 QPR1 Beta 2 is here, and it's packed with more features than a kid's backpack on the way home from school. Thankfully, Mishaal Rahman is here to save the day.
Hey there, Android enthusiasts! Buckle up, because Android 15 QPR1 Beta 2 is here, and it's packed with more features than a kid's backpack on the way home from school. Thankfully, Mishaal Rahman is here to save the day to give the rundown of all the new features and a sneak peak of what's to come.
Features Available in Android QPR1 Beta 2
Settings Homepage Gets a Facelift: Say goodbye to the old and hello to the new! The top-level Settings page has been given a makeover that would make any UI designer proud. It's like your phone just got a new haircut - familiar, but with a fresh twist.
Keyboard Quick Switcher: Tired of fumbling between keyboard layouts? The new keyboard quick switcher is here to save the day. It's like having a linguistic superhero at your fingertips, ready to leap between languages in a single bound!
Status Bar Showoffs: New status bar chips for screen recording and casting have made their debut. Now you'll know at a glance when you're sharing your screen. No more accidental oversharing of those embarrassing cat videos!
Notifications on a Diet: The new partial/compact heads-up notifications layout is here to slim down those notification waistlines. It's like your notifications went to the gym and came back looking fit and trim.
Color Correction Gets Intense: For our friends who see the world a little differently, there's now a color correction intensity slider. Found under Accessibility settings, it's like fine-tuning the color balance on your personal reality TV show.
External Displays, Internal Joy: Pixel 8 and 9 users, rejoice! When you hook up to an external monitor, you can now tweak resolution and rotation to your heart's content. It's like your phone just learned how to be a chameleon.
Tablets Get Windowed: Google's thrown open the windows on tablets like the Pixel Tablet by announcing desktop windowing support. It's multitasking madness, and we're here for it!
Lock Screen Widgets, Tablet Edition: The Pixel Tablet is getting lock screen widgets. It's like your lock screen just got a PhD in information display.
Mouse Pointer Makeover: Customizable mouse pointers are now a thing. Make that cursor pop like it's starring in its own music video!
Charging, But Make It Smart: The new "charging optimization" feature for Pixel phones is here to treat your battery like the precious resource it is. It's like having a personal battery butler.
Android 15 QPR1 Beta 2 brings the new "charging optimization" feature for Pixel phones that I spotted back in Beta 4!
This new page under Settings > Battery lets you switch between the existing "adaptive charging" mode and a new "limit to 80%" charging mode.
Notification Timeout: Remember that feature that put chatty apps in timeout? It might be making a comeback. It's like sending overeager notifications to the corner for a time-out.
"Even Dimmer" is the New Black: Google's planning to roll Extra Dim into the system brightness bar. Soon, you'll be able to dim your screen so much, it'll make a ninja look bright.
Thief, Thief, Go Away: Taking a page from Apple's book, Google's cooking up a feature to make phone thieves' lives harder. Even if they crack your PIN, they'll find your phone's treasures locked up tighter than Fort Knox.
photo credit: Mishaal Rahman/Android Authority
From sleek UI updates to hardcore security features, Android 15 QPR1 Beta 2 is shaping up to be a smorgasbord of smartphone satisfaction. Whether you're a power user or just someone who wants their phone to work a little smarter, there's something here for everyone.
So, what do you think? Are you ready to take a bite out of Android's latest and greatest? The future of Android is looking brighter than ever - or should we say, even dimmer?
