Android Q: the next version of Android

"As a global operating system, it’s important that these names are clear and relatable for everyone in the world," Google VP of product management for Android, Sameer Samat, wrote in a blog post. "We think this change helps make release names simpler and more intuitive for our global community."
The Android 10 update brings a ton of new features, which Google has listed on its official page for the new software.
Among all the new toys, the long-awaited system-wide dark mode (called 'Dark Theme') is the biggest shift from Android Pie. iOS-like Gesture Navigation has also been added, along with privacy controls and Focus Mode for shutting notifications off when you need to get things done. There's also details on Project Mainline, which was introduced at Google IO 2019 that enables Google to beam over-the-air security updates to phones between major updates.
What else is new with Android 10? We've got a working features list below, based on everything we've seen on the official page, in the ongoing beta, and what we saw at Google IO.

Cut to the chase

• What is Android Q? It's the next version of Android
• When can you get Android Q beta? Download Android Q beta 3 now
• When will Android Q launch in full? Probably August  
• How much will Android Q cost? It will (assumedly) be a free update
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  Android 10 release date

• March 13: The first Android 10 developer beta has launched
• April 3: Android 10 beta 2 gave us bugs fixes and app bubbles
• May 7: Android 10 beta 3 launched at Google IO 2019
• Early June: The final incremental update, beta 4, land in June
• July: Beta 5 and beta 6, release candidates, land this month
• September 3: The public version is released - though not all phones get it on launch day

Android 10 has been officially released, but that doesn't mean it's available for all phones just yet. Each OEM must develop their own version of the update for each phone and work with carriers to release it, which can take months. Don't be surprised if your handset doesn't get Android 10 until 2020.
Of course, the Google Pixel phones get the latest version on launch day - and surprising no one, the Essential phone is also getting day one compatibility in select markets, according to this tweet.
Below is a full list of all the phones that have Android 10 thus far.

• Google Pixel 3 / Pixel 3 XL
• Google Pixel 3a / Pixel 3a XL
• Google Pixel 2 / Pixel 2 XL
• Google Pixel / Pixel XL
• Essential Phone

Android 10: what's new

We're getting a better idea of the new Android 10 features to come thanks to the beta of Google's mobile operating system. Additional features and bug fixes have come with all the beta releases up through the sixth and final beta that came out in early August.
Some of the changes are confirmed, while others remain rumors. Here's what you can expected ahead of the official Android 10 release date in August.

Beta 6 (Final)

The sixth and final beta doesn't add much - mostly bug fixes and optimizations - but it does allow apps to semi-disable the swipe-to-go-back gesture.
In essence, apps can block the gesture from working on a certain part of the screen (specifically. there’s now a “200dp vertical app exclusion limit for the Back gesture"). But it won't block the gesture from working entirely - we'll have to see if that exclusion zone is large enough for users to keep from accidentally swiping out of an app (say, when they're gaming) when they expect not to.

Android Q won't have Android Beam

One feature Android 10 won't have is Android Beam, the NFC peer-to-peer sharing method when two devices are nearby. Placing phones back-to-back will do nothing in the beta and final software, we confirmed at Google IO.
Will Google replace Android Beam with another peer-to-peer sharing method? That remains to be seen. We may have to wait until the final Android 10 release date to see it, or maybe when the Google Pixel 4 launches (excepted in October).

Closing privacy loopholes

A report from the International Computer Science Institute found that over 1,300 apps on the US Google Play Store routinely scraped personal data from users even if explicitly denied by relevant permissions settings.
Appmakers have been using multiple clever workarounds to get the info they wanted: if a user set their permissions to not share location data, the apps took their MAC address from routers connected to the phone. They stored the device-identifying IMEI number accessed by one app and shared it with others. They even determined user locations with image metadata.
Google is reportedly fixing these issues with the full release of Android 10 in August, though presumably not in any planned beta beforehand.

Foldable support

Android 10 is preparing for foldable phones in 2019, or "foldables and innovative new screens," according to the Android Developers Blog post.
The Samsung Galaxy Fold – while it was in our hands briefly – seamlessly switched between the folded and unfolded screen states. By Google natively supporting this type of UI continuity in the backend, it'll likely come to more foldable phones when they launch with Android 10 onboard.
For developers, Android 10 beta 2 includes a 'foldables emulator' in Android Studio 3.5, according to Dave Burke, Google's VP of Engineering.

Android Q 'bubbles' multitasking

You've seen the bubbles UI before if you've used Facebook Messenger chat heads. It's an easy way to keep active conversations on-screen as small floating profile pics, while going about your normal tasks in the rest of the interface. You can tap the pic when you want to switch back to the conversation.
Google is supporting this idea throughout Android 10 and calling it a new way to multitask. So far, its examples are coming to Messages and Hangouts. But Google is reducing development time, interactivity consistency, and user privacy safeguards, so expect to see it in additional apps outside of Google's ecosystem.

Dark Theme, the system-wide dark mode

There's a system-wide dark mode coming to Android 10 and it's called Dark Theme. We've tested in out at Google IO and it works as intended, but needs to roll out to more of the menus. So far it's limited to the settings menu. It's very early.
You'll be able to trigger Dark Theme in two different ways, and both are in the notification shade. The first way is with a dedication Dark Theme quick settings button that switches between the default Light Theme and new Dark Theme.
The second way is to turn on a Battery Saver mode, which automatically turns on Android 10 Dark Theme. This is a boon for phones with OLED screens, which will burn fewer pixels by essentially turning off pixels in regions of the display that are intentionally black.

New Android 10 privacy features

The Android Developer Blog post announcing the developer beta confirmed a heavy emphasis on boosting privacy in Android 10, a focus that was reaffirmed in the Google IO 2019 keynote.
Users will have more control over app access to location info, shared files and repositories like Photos and Videos. Another helpful change: instead of apps automatically switching focus when they have an Activity in the background (like an alarm or call), appmakers can opt to send high-priority notifications first.
Android 10 beta 3 also introduced a new feature – Scoped Storage – which allows users to control how apps access external storage (say, in a MicroSD card). It will also better protect users from being identified by restricting access to non-resettable device identifiers, like your phone's serial number and/or IMEI, and randomizing its MAC address when connected to different Wi-Fi networks.
These might be some of the most onerous changes for developers in Android 10, which is why, as the Android Developers Blog post reads: "We are bringing these changes to you early, so you can have as much time as possible to prepare."

Project Mainline: security updates in the background

Another new endeavor announced at Google IO 2019 is Project Mainline, which enables Android devs to update critical parts of Android (so-called 'modules') without a full software package – and critically, without a full update from OEMs.
These surgical upgrades download in the background from Google Play and load them up whenever the phone next reboots. They will mainly be used to improve privacy and security, though the Android Developers Blog post also mentions game developers will use it to update modules for consistent platform implementation.
All devices that can run Android 10 will be able to get Project Mainline.

5G

Android 10 has some particular tricks up its sleeve for 5G. New APIs will enable apps to detect user connection rate and latency, as well as detect if the connection is metered.
This will give developers more refined control over how much data to send to users, especially when they have poorer connections or have data-downloading limits.