Theta Android News: This is the (very short) list of phones that can run Android 11 beta so far

Wednesday, June 10, 2020

For now, the first Android 11 beta can only be installed on recent Pixel smartphones.
Last year, there were nearly two dozen phones that could install the first Android Q beta.
It appears that more phones will support the beta soon, but which ones and when we are not sure.

Last year, for the Android Q beta (which eventually became Android 10), you could install the early version of the operating system on nearly two dozen phones. This year, though, for the Android 11 beta, that is decidedly not the case.

For now, only the most recent Google Pixel devices will support the first Android 11 beta, which landed today. That means all Pixels except for the original Pixel and Pixel XL.

Android 11 beta phones:

Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL
Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL
Google Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL
Google Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL

Unfortunately, we don't see phones from Asus, LG, Nokia, OnePlus, Oppo, Realme, Sony, Vivo, or Xiaomi on the list. All those brands had phones within the Android Q beta program last year.

We can only assume Google's reasoning behind this has to do with the COVID-19 pandemic and the strain that has put on the Android development staff, who are mostly still working from home.

A source familiar with Google's plans confirmed to us that this and future versions of the Android 11 beta (we expect there to be at least three of them) will work on some non-Pixel phones. However, we don't know which ones or when support will begin.

In the meantime, if you want to give the first Android 11 beta a shot, you'll need a Pixel.