Those waiting to take a look at the newest version of Google’s Android mobile operating system have to wait no longer, with the company surprising many by releasing a preview version Wednesday, months before it was expected.

The new version of Android, currently dubbed Android N but likely to change names before a final release, adds a number of new features, the most prominent of which is the ability to show multiple apps on the screen.

Called “android:resizableActivity”, the split-screen mode on phones and tablets allows developers to specify a minimum allowable dimension, along with picture-in-picture support on devices such as tablets and television sets.

Notifications are getting an upgrade with the new version of Android, delivering a new way for apps to let users reply directly from a notification, including the ability for apps to show more information to a user, while a new “bundled notifications” option allows apps to put multiple messages into a single notification card that can be expanded out to show more detail.

Doze, Android’s alleged battery-saving feature (it exists, but if you own an Android phone you would know it’s not particularly good) is being expanded and will now be more aggressive in trying to save your forever fickle battery life by turning down features anytime the phone screen is turned off.

Developers who use Java 8 are being made happy with the language features from the scripting language now being supported in Android N, including default and static methods, streams, and functional interfaces

Easy distribution

In the past, users who wanted to take the latest version of Android for a spin were required to flash their phones from a computer, but not anymore, at least for those who own a Nexus device as Google is allowing over the air (OTA) installation.

The early, and more simpler release, also has a reason, with Google’s Hiroshi Lockheimer explaining in a post on Medium:

Last year, we took a hard look at our 2016 plans, with an eye towards building a timeline that gives everyone the opportunity to make the next release of Android stronger. By releasing the first preview and asking for your feedback now (in March!), we’ll be able to act on that feedback while still being able to hand off the final N release to device makers this summer, so they can get their hands on the latest version of Android earlier than ever. Plus, you’ll be able to use this additional time to support all of the new goodies in N in your apps.

No date has been given for when a final release may be forthcoming, but if you want a copy of the preview release now visit g.co/androidbeta.

Image credit: Google.