Android Oreo: Not Yet for Smartphones, but Here’s What’s Coming

The buzz surrounding Google’s unveiling of a new Android version has finally settled, with plans drawn to a close. Tersely titled Google Android O – or as many know it, Oreo – its official release date has been earmarked and the world is eagerly waiting to explore its offers. In a captivating twist of events, the release date interestingly coincides with a predicted total solar eclipse on the 21st of August. Let’s dive deep into what the new operating system entails, touching upon its features and device compatibility among others.

Amidst speculations and thoughtful suggestions on what the elusive ‘O’ could symbolize, many mooted names such as Oreo and Octopus did the rounds. But could the Android O possibly be hinting at something entirely different? A live stream from New York is set to be staged today at 2.40pm (EST) by Google to unveil this mystery.

Early reports suggest that Google Pixel 2 would be the first smartphone to be graced with the latest Android Oreo version. Slated for a launch in September and backed by Google’s previous accomplishments, it would not be surprising to see all its new products, including both smartphones and tablets, run on the latest Android Oreo.

During the I/O Google conference, Google spokesman David Burke painted a detailed picture of the Android Oreo. His extrapolation has laid out a robust set of features that users can anticipate in the new update. Here are some of them:

Android O: Key features

Background Limits: The new Android version will introduce background limits to optimize battery life. This power-saving feature aims to throttle background application activities, extending battery longevity and enhancing overall device performance.

Picture-in-Picture (PiP) mode: The new PiP mode allows multitasking on your phone – working within multiple applications or balancing work and leisure simultaneously. For instance, send out important documents or chat while watching a YouTube video.

Notification Dots: With Android Oreo, notifications are more intuitive. They appear as small dots at the corner of your device and only show up for unread notifications. You can view these by just long-pressing on the dot – quite reminiscent of the red badges on Apple iOS.

Faster boot times: Google has promised faster booting and app loading times with Android O. Applications are projected to run and load faster than ever on the new Android version.

New Emojis: Bored with the blob-faced emojis from the previous versions? Enter the newly redesigned emojis with more circular faces, providing an aesthetic switch for frequent emoji users.