Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL), at the I/O developer conference, has unveiled the all new Android L, the next version of its mobile operating system. The new OS incorporates the company’s “Material Design” approach, and we were impressed by the brief demo of the OS at the keynote. The company has promised a developer preview to be available shortly after the event, while a full release is planned for this fall. Right now you can only get your hands on the developer preview. Here’s some more details.
Before you get excited about installing the new OS, you should note that this build is still very unstable and is not recommended for everyday use. You should try it out only if you’re an enthusiast and can’t wait for the public release.
In fact, Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) has warned users about loading the Android L Developer preview on your Android device. Also for now, you can try the OS only on Nexus 5 or a Nexus 7 because the system image is only available for these two devices.
Download Android L Developer Preview
You can download the system image from here, and once you’ve downloaded it, you can find detailed instructions here about flashing the OS on your device.
Of course, doing this requires a good knowledge of the Android SDK Manager. Furthermore, if you check it out and decide that this developer preview is not for you, you can uninstall the L Preview and revert the device to factory specifications. You can find instructions for doing so on the same download page.
If you took the plunge and installed the Android L Developer Preview, then please do let us know what you think about this next version of Android. Of course there would be a few bumps you’ll encounter in this early version of Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL)’s new mobile OS, but if you’re Android enthusiast then it might be worth trying out.
