Google's latest mobile operating system, Android 11, launched this week and analysts say it offers a compelling mix of new privacy features and user interface improvements.
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The new release promises to make messaging more versatile and brings a bunch of privacy improvements. Meanwhile, there’s a separate lightweight Go edition with some of the same features, aimed at speeding up cheaper and older phones. As is typical for Android, the latest OS will be rolled out gradually across device makers, though one expert says this poses a security risk.
"Sometimes you don't get updates for a long time because a vendor has tweaked the software to the last detail, and it takes a while for Android to fix that," cybersecurity analyst Dave Hatter said in a phone interview. "There are about a billion Android phones that are ticking security time bombs because they either never get an update or they might have to wait a long time."
On launch day, Android 11 was made available out of the box for Google’s own Pixel phones, and was also available to download for select phones from OnePlus, Xiaomi, OPPO and Realme. A list of when the updates will be ready for other phones is available online.
