So, you must have started to see Oreo on many devices as Google expands its implementation. The most popular devices to carry Oreo are Google Pixel, Pixel C or Google Pixel XL and Xiaomi. It has been confirmed that many companies like Huawei, Samsung, Motorola, Sony, HMD Global, etc. will support the update later this year. The company announced Project Treble (for those without a Google-branded phone) to ensure that the Android Oreo update reaches many more devices than the previous operating system.
As for features and functionality: Is this all you can do when the new update arrives?
- Smart text selection
The text selection feature in Android Oreo is going to ‘Rock’, as the OS will know to select all text, when it tries to copy and route. The smart text selection feature has the ability to touch the selected text.
This feature makes using the device quick and easy. If it is an address, it will start the address there. And if it’s a phone number, you can dial the number directly from the screen.
- multitasking video
This is not a completely new feature, but it can be said to be an advanced version of the existing multitasking feature. The picture-in-picture feature of Android Oreo allows users to easily switch from one screen to another.
For example, if you’re watching Netflix and suddenly remember an email you forgot to send, you can hold Netflix in a small window and send an email at the same time. This feature is great on large and medium screen phones.
You’ll be able to pull a video screen from your app onto a small panel on the screen, allowing you to use your phone while watching the action. You will surely appreciate the increased versatility and multitasking benefits that this operating system offers.
- notifications
Android Oreo allows notification dots to appear over apps that have pending notifications. This feature was not enabled in previous versions, which made it difficult to see new notifications. You can perform with a single tap on the point to get context menu actions.
Google introduced notification dots to Android Oreo apps, allowing users to quickly see what’s going on without opening the app. You can simply swipe the notification bar and get details about the notifications you have. This feature is similar to Apple’s 3D Touch-enabled pop-up bubbles. If you long press the small colored circle on top of the app icon, the screen will pop up and show more information.
- Autocomplete
Users do not need to go through the pain of typing information every time as the ‘AutoFill’ feature in Android Oreo fills in the information automatically. The information is filled out automatically by the OS from the app or web.
Remembering long passwords is hard. However, it is to keep you safe when you are online. The previous version of the Android operating system allowed you to use a series of strange workarounds to help you copy and fill in your account details.
The new version of Android Oreo allows apps to register as autofill providers within the system log in. All you need to do is to choose the autofill provider in any language and input settings. Android will request the login details of the application whenever it needs it.
- Adaptive App Icons
Google encourages its users to interact more with application icons through this new update. It provides developers with tools to make interactions a bit fun and engaging.
The app icons could come to life when users interact with them or scroll through the home page screens. It’s potentially a new feature and we’re more interested in what developers can do with it.
- Great speed and performance.
According to Google, Android Oreo will load apps and boot the device at twice the speed of Android Nougat, resulting in more efficient operation. Google has done a lot of work to make a faster iteration of its mobile platform. This improvement is likely to improve the performance of even the cheapest devices.
Google also limits the frequency of background location updates to improve system health. It is twice as fast as the previous generation with faster boot up. App developers will love this feature.
- Great power of the Google Assistant
The new Android OS gives the Google Assistant additional powers, making it much more useful. The Google Assistant will be open to developers, who will be able to take advantage of it within their applications. This means that it can be used within the application, which serves to strengthen the usability of applications in the long term.
This type of innovation is necessary for it to become indispensable. Google ensures that Assistant grows and evolves beyond smart devices.
- Play more with new emoji
There is no doubt that the emoji are firmly enriched in our day to day. They have their own scream-out-loud movie. Google committed to the latest additions to the ever-expanding emoji family in Android Oreo.
When it comes to introducing users to new emoji, Google lags behind Apple. The inclusion of the latest expressions will probably delight the Homeland Generation. You can find more than 60 new emoji. The best thing is that Google is going to redesign the entire catalog of emojis. So, stay tuned for the new look when Android Oreo comes to your device.
- Save battery life
Android Oreo’s main focus is battery life, speed, and security with great control over apps. Google is slowly moving in the direction of rival Apple’s iOS with heavy restrictions on everything you can do with the app. Restrictions placed on background apps reduce the demand on device performance, which speeds up operation. This means that all devices will see more battery life once Android Oreo is installed.
Google says that Android Oreo is much smarter when it comes to allowing apps to run in the background, which reduces the amount of energy and money they use. This leaves more battery to use for tasks you use regularly.
- keyboard navigation
The biggest improvement in Android Oreo is keyboard navigation. Users can easily navigate with a more reliable and predictable model for “arrows” and “tabs” navigation. This feature helps both end users and developers.
In addition to the above, Wi-Fi awareness is the new feature in Android Oreo that allows Wi-Fi devices to communicate with each other over an ad hoc local network. Google is set to add Sony’s LDAC codec to improve low latency audio. You can also see some improvements in the camera app. Google is reworking the camera app, offering a new double-tap feature to quickly get 50% zoom. Android app developers believe that these new features will be a game changer for them.
Finally, no Android operating system would be complete without an Easter egg. However, the one we see in Android Oreo isn’t the most impressive we’ve seen to date. Go to settings and tap System -> About phone. You will see a big Android O. Tap it repeatedly to get an octopus.
