14 DAY TRIAL // It's been almost two months since Google released the first Android M developer preview, and fans have been wondering when exactly the second build will arrive.
Considering Microsoft is releasing about two Windows 10 Mobile builds per month, it's a bit strange that Google did not offer Android M preview builds more often.
Nevertheless, it looks like Google has finally managed to get another Android M preview build out, so those of you who own a Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 9 and Nexus Player can now download the corresponding factory image and flash it on your device.
When it comes to changes, for the most part, it looks like Google included a number of enhancements and bug fixes. The updated build should also address issues that were reported by developers through the external issue tracker.
Also, Android M Developer Preview 2 comes with Google Play Services 7.6 included. But let's see what other changes this build brings about.
The new version brings some changes to APIs and permissions
First of all, Google has confirmed that there are some modifications to platform permissions, including external storage, Wi-Fi & Bluetooth location, as well as changes to contacts/identity permissions.
Also, device connections through the USB port will now be set to charge-only mode by default. In order to access the device, you will now have to explicitly grant permission.
Some API changes have been included in this build as well. For example, the Bluetooth Stylus APIs have been updated with callback events. View.onContextClickListener and GestureDetector.OnContextClickListener to listen for stylus button presses and to perform secondary actions.
The Media API has been updated too with new callback InputDevice.hasMicrophone() method for determining if a device microphone exists.
Last but not least, some fixes for developer-reported issues have also been implemented, such as the TextInputLayout that doesn’t set hint for embedded EditText. Also, the Camera Permission issue with Legacy Apps has been fixed as well.
You can now download Android M Developer Preview 2 factory images for Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 9 and Nexus Player via Google's developer support website.