Google Postpones Android 11 ‘Beta Launch Show’ Amid Protests

While tech companies are still experimenting with how to launch products in the age of social distancing, Google has announced that the first Android 11 public beta will arrive on June 3 in a fairly traditional way: a YouTube stream.

As uncovered by Android Police, Google has posted a video teasing the “Android Beta Launch Show,” featuring a voice-over by George Takei, best known for playing Hikaru Sulu in the original Star Trek series. While it’s not clear whether the event will be live or pre-recorded, Google is playing it up as an I/O-style gathering without the stage and the crowds.

The event beta launch show promises “news, updates, and announcements on connectivity, controls, safety, security, productivity, accessibility, and a whole bunch of stuff we’re not ready to tell you about yet.” Takei quips that Google “hopes that doesn’t leak,” a reference to the spoilers that are usually posted by fans before most major tech events.

Google launched the Android 11 developer preview in early February, but it has few consumer features yet. The release will bring support for new screen types, such as foldables and “waterfall” displays, as well as 5G and faster refresh rates, all of which we’ve already seen on third-party phones. Another developer feature that will presumably make it into the final release is notification bubbles that can populate the screen with messages and alerts outside of the notification shade.