Google has started working on Android P
By Prempal Singh
Google had unveiled the official name of Android O and is in the process of rolling out the consumer version of the new operating system to the first batch of devices. But it looks like the company has already started working on the next version of the OS, being tipped as Android P. As spotted by XDA Developers website, Google has opened a new tag in the AOSP called as ‘master-p’, indicating the arrival of Android P. The codes indicate that Android P could be under tests on Google Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones. The report adds that some of the changes made in the version_defaults.mk file mention PLATFORM_VERSION_CODENAME=P, TARGET_PRODUCT=marlin and TARGET_PLATFORM_VERSION=PPR1.
One of the strings in the AOSP codes also mentions ‘master is p only, removing old values’. If the above spotted codes are any indication, Android P, being a major launch, may too carry a new version number – Android 9.0. For now, Google has just started rolling out Android 8.0 Oreo OTA updates to those devices that are running the latest Android Nougat beta.
It is likely that non-developer smartphones too will be receiving the OS version soon. Besides Google Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X, Pixel and Pixel XL, some other smartphones too are confirmed to receive Android 8.0 Oreo. Samsung has said that most of its new Galaxy A series and J series smartphones along with the Galaxy S8, S8+, S7 and the S7 Edge will get the new OS version. Some of the other companies that have confirmed Android O for its select handsets are Sony, HTC, OnePlus, Nokia, Asus, Micromax and Essential.