At Google I/O 2018 event, Google unveiled a beta version of Android P, the next release of Android. Google is trying to make Android smarter and easier to use with focus on three main areas: machine learning, system navigation and digital wellbeing. Let’s have a look at some of the changes/updates and 17 new features of Android P.
Machine Learning
Android P is trying to provide a smarter device experience. The operating system is designed to learn from user behavior and adapt to the users. Android P will feature Adaptive Battery, Adaptive Brightness, App Actions, and Slices.
Adaptive Battery: Google has partnered with Deepmind to improve how different apps use the smartphone battery. Adaptive Battery prioritizes access to specific apps and system resources by utilizing machine learning. The priority is assigned by putting the apps in different buckets ranging from “active” to “rare”.
Adaptive Brightness: The AI will learn user’s behavior for brightness setting depending on lighting situation, and it will automatically adjust the screen brightness next time the user is in the same surroundings.
App Actions: App Actions will allows apps to provide key functions from the Launcher, Smart Text Selection, Google Play, Google Search app, and the Assistant. Once again, AI will provide right apps to the user based on the interactions or context of search criteria.
Slices: It is a new way to provide content to users remotely in places like Google Search and Assistant. The Apps can provide slices for actions, toggles, sliders, scrolling content, etc.
System Navigation
In Android P, Google has introduced a new system navigation with a single button on every screen for Home, Overview, and the Assistant. Now, there is only one single home button. This is where gestures come into play as Google has replaced the navigation buttons with gesture based interface.
Gestures: You can swipe up from the home button to see a newly designed Overview (multitasking), which now shows full-screen previews of recently used apps. However, users might find it confusing when they try to open the app drawer as it uses the same but longer swipe up from home button gesture. A swipe right on the home button will take you back to last app you were using.
Smart Reply in Notifications
Android P will improve the notification drawer by adding Gmail-like Smart Reply feature, which will allow users to show conversations, attach photos and stickers, and even suggest smart replies.
Text Selection and Magnifier
If you find yourself constantly switching between apps, Smart Text Selection will work in Overview (Multitasking) view as well. In Android P there is a new Magnifier glass, which will allow easier manipulate of the text cursor and selection of text. 
Volume Adjustment
In Android P, Google is finally fixing the way Volume rocker operates. First off, the volume rocker will now appear vertically next to the volume buttons. More importantly, the volume rocker will adjust the media volume by default whereas in previous versions (Oreo and prior) it would adjust the ringtone volume by default.
Screen Rotation
In Android P, Google has added a button in system bar to trigger manual rotation of the screen. If you do not use auto-rotate feature, then this feature will be very useful for you as it will eliminate unintentional rotations.
Biometric Prompt
Currently, the biometric authentication is managed within each app that requires it. Android P provides a standard authentication experience across the growing range of biometric sensors (including Face and Iris authentication). The users will see a Biometric Prompt everytime an app requires the user to authenticate any action.
Digital Wellbeing
In an effort to remove distractions caused by Technology, Google has provided four new features to help you with your digital wellbeing.
Dashboard: It will provide the user with usage data including time spent on your device and apps. It will also display how many notifications were received and how many times you’ve unlocked your phone.
App Timer: If you are addicted to an app and want some help, Android P will let you set time limits on apps and when you are close to you limit, you will get a nudge. Once the time limit has been reached, the app icon will be grayed out to remind you of your goal.
Do Not Disturb: It will let you block any pop-up visual interruptions and also silence phone calls and notifications. To easily turn on Do Not Disturb, you just have to put your phone upside down on a surface.
Wind Down: This will adapt the screen mode by switching to Night Light when it gets dark. In addition, at your chosen bedtime, Android P will remind you that it is time to go to bed by turning on the Do Not Disturb mode and changing the screen to grayscale.
Other Features
Multi-camera Streams
Devices running Android P will be able to access streams simultaneously from two or more physical cameras. This will allow for innovative new camera features (such as seamless zoom, bokeh, and stereo vision) that can utilize the either dual-front or dual-back cameras.
Display Cutout
With the increasing popularity of notched screen displays thanks to the iPhone X, Android P will now allow apps to manage how the content is displayed. The Android P system will manage the status bar height to separate the content from the cutout.
Indoor positioning with Wi-Fi RTT
We have all faced issues with accuracy of the location based services during indoor positioning. In Android P, Google has added support for WiFi Round-Trip-Time (RTT), a.k.a. 802.11mc WiFi protocol, which will improve the indoor positioning in apps. Android P devices with hardware support, location permission, and location enabled, can measure the distance to nearby WiFi Access Points (APs). For user privacy, the smartphone doesn’t need to connect to the WiFi network as this feature will only determine the distance.
This feature will allow App developers to build new experiences like in-building navigation (useful in Big Shopping Malls) and location-based information.
Availability
Google has released Android P Beta Google Pixel. In addition, Google is trying to make OS updates easier with Project Treble, which has allowed Google’s partners to make Android P Beta available on their devices, including Sony Xperia XZ2, Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S, Nokia 7 Plus, Oppo R15 Pro, Vivo X21, OnePlus 6, and Essential PH‑1.
Source: Google
I am officially a tech addict and enjoy providing my views on matters related to this industry. I am always interested in trying out new tech gadgets and I have owned multiple smartphones including the legendary HTC One, SGS2, Nexus 4, iPhone 4, 5S, 6S, XR, Note 9. You can ask me any tech related questions in the comment section or on twitter @hookedNav