While we continue to wait for Google to unveil the long overdue sequel to the company's rookie smart speaker effort, which may or may not happen later today, it looks like the search giant randomly allowed the Android 11 launch date cat out of the bag at an otherwise unremarkable virtual smart home summit.
Although this might not be etched in stone just yet, the newest version of the world's most popular mobile operating system is expected to see daylight in its final form on September 8. The news comes from none other than Michele Turner, Big G's Product Management Director of the Smart Home Ecosystem division, who definitely sounds like someone that knows what she's talking about.
The date itself is also hardly surprising, following in the footsteps of Android 10's September 3 commercial debut last year, even though we're fairly certain many of you were hoping Google would go back to the slightly earlier availability schedule of 2018 or 2017. Then again, the 2020 I/O developer conference was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, which led to a small Android 11 beta delay.
That build was released on June 10, compared to the May 7 expansion of 2019's Android 10 beta program, which actually makes a prospective general Android 11 launch on September 8 sound like good news. Once again, though, something tells us this is little more than a tentative date or an internal target that Google could end up hitting... or pushing back by a couple of weeks or so.
Even if it pans out, it's important to remember only a small number of devices are likely to receive the stable update on the day of its official release. Namely, the Pixel 2, 2 XL, 3, 3 XL, 3a, 3a XL, 4, and 4 XL this time around. You can probably add the upcoming Pixel 4a to that list... as long as the mid-ranger will actually become available in time for Android 11's beta program exit.
Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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