What you need to know
- Honor announced that it is entering Android 17 beta 3 with the Magic 8 Pro, and it is bringing developers along as well.
- Developers will get access to Honor’s expanded “Bubbles” feature for multitasking, as well as the inclusion of RAW14 format for photos.
- Important security protections are in place on the Magic 8 Pro, as it is running Android 17 beta 3.
Android 17 is not slowing down for anyone, and Honor has announced its entry into testing with developers on a notable phone.
On May 12, Honor announced in a press release that its Magic 8 Pro would be the “first in the industry” to support Android 17 beta 3. Now that it’s onboard, Honor says developers can join early testing to see what’s going on and start refining their work. Leading the charge on what’s possible in the Android 17 beta for the Magic 8 Pro is Honor’s expanded “Bubbles” feature. This beautifully named feature is said to enhance multitasking capabilities.
“This allows apps to be instantly minimized to a floating icon and recalled from anywhere on the screen, creating a seamless multitasking experience,” Honor says. Additionally, users can keep important tools ready even when switching between other apps on their phone.
The Magic 8 Pro’s photographic capabilities were a bright spot during its launch, and its Android 17 beta 3 participation continues that focus. This beta reportedly brings native support for the RAW14 image format. It has become the industry standard for “high-end digital photography”. Third-party camera/editing programs will be able to capture and manage everything one would need for their photos using Honor’s optics and sensors.
The visual experience on your phone gets a boost in beta 3. Honor says users can now hide app labels, while developers get the option to customize the photo picker by “modifying the grid view aspect ratio.” This gives more options, like 1:1 (square) or 9:16 (portrait display). Android 17 beta 3 will also expand dark themes access to cover more of the system.
chief moves forward
In the beta, users will find that Honor’s Quick Settings menu has divided their Wi-Fi and mobile data into separate tiles. This will help in quick management of those connections. Additionally, a redesigned screen recording menu lets users more adequately decide how much of their screen or app they want to capture.
With the new Android OS beta comes enhanced security protections for users. Honor’s system will provide a location button, allowing apps that require “exact” locations only for the “current session.” Honor says this will help users reduce how much personal information they are sharing with apps (background tracking). Due to the adoption of post-quantum cryptography, the added security helps protect Android users from “injection attacks” on the network.
Android Central’s Tech
Honor has really been on its AI kick lately. I mean, it was all there Robot phone, remember? While we can expect there to be plenty of AI software built into Android 17 if users want it, it’s good to see that it’s still focusing on other areas. Regarding photography upgrades, it is said to sound attractive. I enjoy taking photos, so it’s great to see RAW14 taking off. This isn’t something everyone will use, as RAW files are generally good if you’re editing images. I’m sure it will have a more common and practical feel to everyone else as well.
