First Android P developer preview supposedly coming mid-March

Android 8.0 Oreo is still way below the 10 percent market share, but its successor is already in the works. Even more, if everything goes as planned, we might get Android 9.0 P by the end of the summer. However, Evan Blass has just revealed on Twitter that the first Developer Preview build of Android P is scheduled for "a mid-month release." Since he was talking about this month, Android 9.0 Developer Preview 1 should arrive in the next two weeks.

According to a rumor roundup published earlier today by TheDroidWay, these are the most important Android P features that we should get ready for:

• iris scanning native support
• spam calls blocking
• no more support for unofficial Android APIs
• no microphone and camera access for idle apps
• display notch support
• instant screenshot editing
• (finally) a dark mode
• support for foldable and multiple screens
• no network strength indicators (apparently only for carrier branded devices)

Moving on to the name of the upcoming major Android version, we should mention that Evan Blass has a favorite: Pumpkin Pie, according to a Twitter message he posted at the end of last week. However, those not happy with it have a long list of possible names for Android 9.0. Back in November, the Indian website Fossybytes came up with a list of 17 such names. In addition to the favorite of the popular VentureBeat editor we mentioned above, they came up with Pancake, Panna Cotta, Parfait, Peanut Brittle, Peanut Butter Cookie, Peda, Popsicle, Pecan Pie, Pastry, Popover, Praline, Poached Pears, Pandoro, Punch, Pineapple, and Petha.

Do you have any favorite name for the upcoming Android release? Drop a comment below and let us know! Both Parfait and Popsicle sound great to us, being very easy to remember and naming two multi-colored desserts.