We are quite used to Google making new updates with its Android operating system every year. So even if there are few days left for the new version to roll out, Google is out with the beta version of it which was released some days after the release of Developer preview. The announcement about release of Android O- the latest version of Android was made at its I/O keynote. And it seems there will be a lot of features that will take it to the next level.

So what is Android O and what features should you expect from it? Let’s take a look.

Android O

Android O is going to be the next update of Android. This update is next in line after the release of Android Nougat in last summer. It may also be addressed as “Android 8.0”. We can assume this as Marshmallow had a numeric designation 6.0 which was followed by Nougat being called 7.0-7.1. Although, Google hasn’t announced what sweet or dessert they will name O after, there are rumors and that it might be called Oreo.

A glimpse of the upcoming features

During the I/O keynote, Google announced that the new update will be all about giving “Fluid Experiences” and following the “Vitals”. This means that the next version will make things look better on our Android mobile screens and it will be more efficient as compared to Nougat. Here are some of the features you can expect:

Smarter Connectivity

Whenever you are likely to interact within the same wi-fi zones, you do not like to undergo the same procedure of setting wi-fi password every time. And if you leave wi-fi switched on all the time, it will drain your phone batteries. Android O will have a feature named “Wi-fi Aware” which was previously known as Neighbour Awareness Networking. It supports Bluetooth Audio Codecs including LDAC codec. This means that devices will be able to communicate with Wi-fi without any internet access point. It will also have an option named “Turn on wi-fi automatically”. You can activate it and put your wi-fi off. But once you come into the range of wi-fi networks used before, it will automatically get turned on. Once you go out of range, it will turn it off.

Picture in picture

Picture in Picture display, also known as PIP was a part of Android Tv. The same feature will now be a part of your smartphones. This feature will enable you to multitask efficiently. For eg, you can continue watching a video simultaneously while chatting on other app. In order to use it, you just have to press the home button while the video is playing. A small screen will appear on which the video will play. You can keep moving it around the screen so that it doesn’t bother you. Once you are done watching it, you can swipe it off the screen.

Prioritized notification

Android O will make it easy for you to manage your phone’s alerts and notifications. It will prioritize alerts and put the notifications that don’t need your attention on a low priority. This means that users will be able to focus on important tasks and avoid getting overwhelmed with too much information.

Customized navigation

This feature will be a boon for people who have large mobile screens and get exhausted while navigating around different icons. Android O will have the System UI Tuner which will help you to adjust navigation buttons so that you can operate around them easily. It will enable you to shift the navigation buttons on either side or make them compact in the centre.

Easy sound selection

Initially if you wanted to set up a particular ringtone from your files, you had to copy the MP3 to the phone’s storage system. Then you had to use the file manager to find it, move it to the ringtones or alarm folder and go back to the system sound setting to select it. Through Android O, you will be able to directly go the system sound settings and select the option (ringtone, notification, alarm) and you will directly get the option to add your own sound. Just select it and you are done!

Google play protect

Android O will make your phone secure and visible. Whenever you will use apps and games on screen, a small card will appear which will tell you that your apps are being scanned for viruses and malware. This will provide an added protection on your phone.

Should You Be Using Android O Beta?

The answer is Yes. You can install the public beta if your device is compatible. You can enroll your device in the public beta program. Thereafter, all you have to do is wait for the OTA update.

If you are looking to have your own mobile app you can check out our mobile app development services and we will make sure your app makes best use of the features of Android O.