Second Android M Developer Preview Is Now Available

In the lead up to the public launch of Android M, Google is going to tweak and improve the update using its Android M Developer Program.

Preview 2 includes the new platform code, some additional APIs for testing as well as a few developer reported fixes such as Camera Permission and TextInputLayout issues. And today, after days of spamming the Internet full of ‘where’s our update, Google!?’, Nexus users are now able to install the second developer preview of Android M. But for those developers, and eager fans, the second update is here, available to download from Google’s developer site.

The latest product to get a price cut, with Amazon and Argos at least, is the Google Nexus 9, the company’s 8.9-inch tablet that came out at the end of previous year from around £320. Check out the release notes for a detailed list of changes in this update. For example, you can remove just about all of the icons, including the Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cellular data icons, leaving just the time and battery.

Updated Bluetooth Stylus APIs with updated callback events. Moreover, devices that are connected via USB are set to charge-only mode by default. The view and gesture functions of the API can now let devices listen for stylus button presses and then perform the associated secondary actions.

Android users have always been able to tweak their status bars by rooting their devices and tinkering with the deeper parts of the device. The final release of Android M is not due until the fall months.