Minecraft: Pocket Edition has a new alpha update exclusively for Android devices that allows users to test out the newly-enabled support for Minecraft Realms. Minecraft Realms, if you’re not in the know, is essentially a paid service to have a cross-platform server of your own. The feature will make use of the Xbox Live backend technology, and so, requires users to have an Xbox Live account. Users who don’t have one already are encouraged to make an account.
According to Mojang’s official blog, Minecraft Realms support will support cross-platform play between the iOS, Android, Windows Phone and Windows 10 editions of Minecraft. Minecraft Realms is a paid service, but it will not require an Xbox Live Gold subscription to use, so you don’t have to worry about that. The free alpha is available for Android here.
Update 0.15.0 for Minecraft: Pocket Edition is expected to add a number of other features as well, but it is unclear whether these features are included in the Realms alpha linked above. The upcoming update will include a host of additions: pistons, sticky pistons, resource packs, and anti-aliasing option (for Windows 10 and VR), commands, plugins and a new Archer mob. Apart from these, fans are expecting a new Horses mob, trading, Raw Mutton and Cooked Mutton, Sliced Bread, Biome Based Villages, new Biomes and even The End. There will also be a new Inventory button to make things more convenient.
There is no news at the moment on when Update 0.15.0 will properly be dropping, but seeing as the Minecraft Realms Alpha build has been released, it will likely not be far away.