Android O: latest news and attributes

Android Nougat was officially released eight months ago, in August 2016, and we've been seeing a continuous rollout on Android flagships ever since. So, it shouldn't come as a surprise that Google has been working on the next Android 8. update. Its features have been announced, and the second developer preview and public beta are accessible. During and following Google I/O 2017, we got new details on features.

Android O release date

Google posted the new release timeline on their developer site, which tells us that the final release of Android 8. is expected in Q3 2017 - but there is no specific date set however. Currently the first Developer Preview and the public beta are available.

Android O features

Some Android O attributes hide under the hood, others show up instantly on the surface. Because the former will affect all devices, we will begin with them. The latter are immediately visible with the preview-compatible Nexus and Pixel devices, but are frequently not used by manufacturers in their personal UIs and are therefore less important, so we will detail them last.

- Core features: battery life, updates, security - Hardware support: Hi-Fi by way of Bluetooth and HDR displays - Surface features: Emoji, notifications and picture-in-picture

Android O core attributes

- Energy saving thanks to Android O - Earlier updates thanks to Project Treble - Apps and reboots are faster with Android O - Apps are better thanks to Google Play Protect and tougher enforcement of criteria - Wi-Fi Conscious (also known as Neighbor Awareness Networking or NAN) - Autofill revolutionizes password management

Energy saving thanks to Android O

To protect users' battery life and performance, Google has place automatic limits on app background activities in Android O. These background limits will particularly consist of implicit broadcasts, background services and location updates. For users, this means much less energy consumption, and ultimately, longer battery life.

More info regarding Android O Features could be discovered right here.