Understanding android 17: Beta clue suggests imminent rollout
Google has commenced the rollout of yet another version of its Android 17 beta. And it could be the last before the real thing arrives.
According to Google, back in April, Android 17 Beta 4 was intended to be the “last scheduled beta of this release cycle”. Evidently, that didn’t incorporate incremental patch releases, as Android 17 Beta 4.1 has just been announced.
As that previous Google statement and the 0.1 designation suggest, it’s a minor bug-squashing update. But if you’re already running the beta on a compatible Pixel phone (Pixel 6 series or later), it’s undoubtedly worth
According to the official release notes, it addresses the following issues:
- An issue where the status bar incorrectly displayed zero signal bars despite active connectivity.
- A UI synchronisation issue where the mobile data Quick Settings icon remained active during Airplane mode.
- An issue where external displays would go black when selecting high resolutions.
- A Bluetooth audio routing issue that caused playback silence after system interruptions like timers.
- An issue causing hearing aids to be automatically forgotten from paired devices after inactivity or charging.
Chris Martin / Foundy
What this means for Android 17 proper
Just about the most consequential thing about this latest beta release is that it could be the last one ever before Android 17 proper arrives.
We have Google’s aforementioned statement to suggest as much, in addition to the fact that we should be getting perilously close to a full release.
Last year, Android 16 commenced its rollout on 10 June, which means that we’re expecting news of the full release any day now. We’ve got our Google Pixel 10 phones at the ready.
As usual, it’ll take several months to arrive on all compatible Android smartphones. But Samsung’s version, known as One UI 9, is also available in beta form and shouldn’t be too far behind.
