Google is offering Android developers a one-quarter discount on a Pixel C tablet/laptop hybrid as a promotion of the Android N beta program. Developers can test the performance of the new version of the OS including split-screen view through a price cut for the mobile device's 32GB and 64GB models
The 32GB Pixel C now has a price cut to $375 and the 64GB unit has been slashed to $449, but the add-on keyboard still has a full price of $149.
Developers must sign up for Pixel updates in order to get the discount code, according to PC Mag. Google will then email a code within a couple of days.
Developers do not seem to be required to register for the Android N beta program to get the 25 percent discount. This would mean it is open to everyone. However, developers who sign up for the beta program get over-the-air (OTA) updates when new pre-release versions of the OS are available.
Android N's preview includes a split-screen view that allows multiple apps to appear at the same time on one smartphone or tablet device. It could also run in Android TV's picture-in-picture mode.
In the past one of the main complaints about Android devices was that it is behind platforms including iOS 9 and Windows 10 because users can only open one app per session, according to Engadget. For this reason the pre-eminent new feature of Android N will be a big plus for Google tablets.
After opening an application Pixel C owners just have to hold down the task switcher button to launch split screen view. The first app shifts to the left, and any new apps appear on the right side of the display.
Then multi-tasking Android N users just lightly tap the task switcher to toggle between the apps on the right side. The default size of the new apps is half of the screen, although the slider allows users to adjust the width. Meanwhile, portrait mode shifts apps to the top and bottom of the tablet screen.
A blog post shows that Google hopes to release Android N's final version to mobile device manufacturers sometime this summer, which is sooner than the original fall 2016 release time period.
Here are some hidden Android N beta features: