Android 17 is Google’s biggest large-screen and cross-device push yet
Android 17 is officially here with mandatory large-screen adaptivity, Handoff cross-device continuity, VVC (H.266) support, camera upgrades, and stricter background controls. Here’s everything new in the latest Android update...
✨ Key Highlights
Google has launched Android 17 Beta 1, signaling its biggest push yet for large-screen optimization and cross-device functionality. This update introduces mandatory requirements for app adaptivity on larger displays and a groundbreaking Handoff feature for seamless activity transfer between Android devices.
- Android 17 now mandates that apps on large screens must adapt to resizing and orientation changes, eliminating poorly optimized experiences.
- The new Handoff feature allows users to continue activities across different Android devices, akin to Apple's Continuity.
- Other significant changes include optimized configuration handling for smoother multitasking, stricter notification size limits, improved camera APIs, Constant Quality (CQ) mode for video recording, hardened background audio, and support for the efficient VVC (H.266) video codec.
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Sage Launches AI Platform in Kenya; Google & Microsoft Roll Out New Software Features - February 2026
Sage officially launched Sage Intacct in Kenya, an AI-powered, cloud-native financial management platform for mid-market organizations. Concurrently, Google has launched Android 17 Beta 1, described as its biggest push for large-screen optimization and cross-device functionality. This Android update introduces a Handoff feature for seamless activity transfer between devices. In another update, Microsoft Edge on Android is set to receive new AI-powered "Writing Assistance" features like Summarize and Rewrite. These tools will leverage Google's Gemini Nano on-device AI model through a cross-company collaboration.
