Android 11 is officially launching today after months of betas — and it’s getting a wider release than expected, with the latest version of the operating coming today not only to Pixel devices but to phones from OnePlus, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Realme, too.
As expected, the final version of Android 11 is now available to download on the Pixel 2, 3, 3A, 4, and 4A. OnePlus has also confirmed that the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro will be getting Android 11 today in North America, Europe, and India. Google also promises to expect “more partners launching and upgrading devices over the coming months,” so today’s launch will likely be the first of many Android 11 update announcements for the next few weeks.
Android 11 adds a variety of new features to Google’s mobile operating system, although as a whole, the update is focused less on adding new functionality and more on making it easier to manage the myriad things your phone can already do. The biggest change is how Android 11 handles conversations by grouping notifications from messaging apps out into its own section in the drop-down notification shade and adding a Facebook Messenger-style bubble interface to make them more accessible.
There’s also new media controls, a new screenshot interface, a system-level smart home control menu that’s accessed by long-pressing the power button, more restrictive permissions settings, and more.
And while Android 11 is going to be available on several phones today, there are still a couple of features that are exclusive to Google’s Pixel devices, including a new AR-location sharing feature meant to make it easier to meet up with friends, a built-in version of Google’s Smart Reply functionality into Gboard in more chat applications, and intelligently named folders.
For more on the new update, check out our full Android 11 review here.
Update September 8th, 1:30pm: Added additional details on Pixel-exclusive features in Android 11.
Author: Chaim Gartenberg
Source: Theverge
