On March 21, Google had released the developer preview of the latest mobile operating system, with a code name of, Android O. Read on to know what Google has been up to with their latest OS, and what to expect when it finally released.
According to the tech giant, we can expect the full version of Android O in the fall of this year, most likely, Pixel 2 will run the OS. A new preview version and some major updates will be released in mid-May, just in time for Google’s annual developer conference (Google I/O 2017). Though Google didn’t reveal much information, we suspect for a beta release.
The first developer preview promises a huge impact on the developers. Android O is designed to boost the interactive performance and battery life of the devices. It puts automated limits on the applications running in the background through location updates, background services, and implicit broadcasts. These limits designate a vital change in how Android operates, so it is important to give time to the developers so they can familiarize themselves with the latest features. But still, Android O is still in its early stage, and there are lots of added features, stabilization, and performance works to do.
One of the major features of Android O is the picture-in-picture display for both tablets and smartphones to allow the users to do multiple activities such as watching a video while doing a chat session. It also includes major connectivity enhancement with LDAC support. LDAC is Sony’s new audio technology that provides high-quality wireless audio through Bluetooth. Android O also introduced WiFi Aware, which allows users to have WiFi access without needing an Internet Access Point. This feature was previously known as Neighborhood Awareness Networking.
The new release also allows the user to change or block behaviors of the notifications such as vibration, sound, or its importance level. It lets the user control the notification categories of an application. Also, with the coming of Google Play apps to Chrome OS, Google is hoping for a resurrection in keyboard navigation. Android O has a feature that enhances the tab and arrow navigation, which is available not just for the developers, but also for end users.
The Android O Developer Preview includes an updated Software Development Kit (SDK) and system images, so it is possible to preview it on devices like Nexus 5X, Nexus Player, Nexus 6P, Pixel, Pixel C, Pixel XL, and Android Emulator. Google says the first release is only available through flash and manual download and not for consumer use. With the coming of the final release, the consumer may enroll through Android Beta.
The Android O will eventually become Android 8.0 O (for Oreo). Google’s timeline for the release of each preview build is shown below. Next developer preview will be out in mid-May, the third and fourth will roll out in mid-June and mid-July respectively.
Watch Android O in action:
https://www.youtube.com/
