The next iteration of Google’s Android OS is finally out of beta. The new version, Android 8.0, is called Oreo, and Google has released the update for compatible Pixel and Nexus devices.
Being a major software release, Android Oreo brings a host of improvements over Android Nougat.
Google has added a new feature called background limits to extend the battery life of your smartphones. It is more like a power saver feature that limits the background apps when not in use. The next feature is notification dots, which allows the users to glance at the notifications even if they have missed them. With this feature in place, you will no longer need to pull the drop-down notification panel to check the notifications.
There is also a Picture-in-Picture (PIP) mode which pops out the videos while letting you continue with your work. Google has also made the boot process faster, added new emojis along with the usual bug fixes and performance improvements.
The latest update will first hit only a select list of devices such as Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Google Pixel, Pixel XL, and Pixel C. All you need to do is head to the Android Beta Program page set up by Google, and sign in with the same Google account you use on one of those devices listed above. If you’ve got all that lined up, then it’s as easy as clicking the “Enroll Device” button next to the image of your eligible hardware, agreeing to the terms of Android’s beta testing and checking for an update on your phone or tablet.
Some non-Google smartphone users can also expect the Android 8.0 update soon. “By the end of this year, hardware makers like Essential, Huawei, HTC, Kyocera, LG, Motorola, HMD Global Home of Nokia Phones, Samsung, Sharp and Sony are scheduled to be launching or upgrading new devices to Android 8.0 Oreo,” said Google in a blog post.
Nokia has already confirmed that all its smartphones – Nokia 3, Nokia 5, Nokia 6 and Nokia 8 – will receive the Android O update. Samsung and LG, traditionally, roll out the latest software upgrades to their flagship smartphones first. Therefore, users of Samsung Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+ and LG G6 can expect the upgrade by end of this year.
Indian smartphone brand Micromax has also confirmed that its latest smartphone Canvas Infinity will receive the Android 8.0 update in the future.
