Android L Expected Release on Oct. 15 Alongside Nexus 9
Google's next mobile operating system, Android L, is expected to be released sometime this October. Recently though, it looks like Google has released a 64-bit Android L developer preview emulator image. Strangely, the emulator is a 64-bit image for 64-bit Intel chips and not ARMv8. It's strange since developers have no tools to create 64-bit ARMv8 apps despite Nvidia's upcoming 64-bit Tegra K1.
The release of the developer preview, however, only means that the actual operating system might just be around the corner. Apparently, Google is planning a launch event this Oct. 15 for the announcements of the Android L, the Nexus 9 tablet, Android Wear 2.0, and Android TV.
Android L – or Android 5.0 – was first first unveiled during Google's I/O Conference June earlier this year. During that time, Google's Sundar Pichai said that Android L would be supporting 64-bit CPU architectures.
"We've adapted and optimized the entire platform to take advantage of the new 64-bit architectures," David Burke, the Engineering Director of Google, added.
Google's only device capable of running Android L at the moment is the upcoming Nexus 9 which is rumored to be equipped with the Nvidia Tegra K1 SoC, with 64-bit Denver CPU cores. Since the Nexus 9 is to have been rumored to run with the new Android L, it could be the only device to run the new operating system currently.