The recently introduce Sony Xperia XZ1, XZ1 Compact, XA1 Plus and the upcoming Mate 10 series and Google Pixel 2 and 2 XL smartphones are all arriving preinstalled. Since there are not many Android 8.0 Oreo driven phones in the market, Oreo was not seen in the Android distribution chart by Google. However, it has finally appeared in this month’s Android distribution chart with a percentage of 0.2 percent.

Currently. only the Pixel devices like Pixel, Pixel XL and Pixel C along with some Nexus devices like Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X, and Nexus Player have received the Android 8.0 Oreo update. These devices probably account for 0.2 percent of market share for Android Oreo.

Read More: Android 8.0 Oreo Customs ROMs Arrives for Popular Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus, Motorola Phones & More

Android 8.0 Oreo was introduced on Aug. 22 and even though many smartphone OEMs such as BlackBerry, HTC, Sony, Nokia, Huawei and Motorola have confirmed the list of their devices that will be upgraded to Oreo, none of the smartphones except for Google devices have received the Android 8.0. Google does not consider Android versions that have lower than 0.1 percent distribution. This could be the reason why Oreo was not seen in the Android distribution chart since its launch in August.

With a huge market share of 32 percent, Android 6.0 Marshmallow is the Android version that is widely available on Android devices. It is followed by Android Lollipop that is running on 27.7 percent devices. Compared to last month, the market share of Marshmallow and Lollipop have declined. In th previous month, both carried respective market shares of 32.2 percent and 28.8 percent.

Last year’s Android Nougat is still not available on large number of Android devices as it has a market share of 17.8 percent. The market share of the Android KitKat has been reduced to 14.5 percent whereas Jelly Bean has a market share of 7.6 percent. Older versions such as Ice Cream Sandwich and Gingerbread have respective market shares of 0.6 percent.

The aforementioned data was collected during a one-week period that ended on Oct. 2. These stats show that the market share of Android Nougat is slowly increasing. In the last month, Nougat had a market share of 15.8 percent. As far as Oreo is concerned, its market share is expected to improve by the end of year as many smartphone OEMs will begin the process of rolling out Android O.

(source)

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In the last week, Motorola’s official blog carried the list of smartphones that will be upgraded to Android 8.0 Oreo. Strangely, the Moto G4 Plus is not included in the list even though the company had confirmed in May 2016 that it will be upgraded to Android O. Even the marketing materials of the Moto G4 Plus that had released at that time stated that it would be getting Android N and O (Nougat and Oreo) updates. After facing criticism for making false promise to Moto G4 Plus users, Motorola has confirmed that the handset will be upgraded to Android 8.0 Oreo.

As it can be seen in the image above, Motorola had promised Android O for Moto G4 Plus. However, Motorola has removed all the references of Android O update for Moto G4 Plus.

A newer poster does not mention anything on Android O for the handset.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voyvRspkWAo

The above video that was uploaded on YouTube shows the listing of Moto G4 Plus on Amazon India. The Moto G4 Android Oreo promise can be clearly seen at 1:02 mark. The refreshed landing page of Moto G4 Plus on the retailer site does not contain any references of Android Oreo.

A Spanish brochure of the Moto G4 Plus also mentions in the Moto Pure section that Android O will be coming to the handset. More recently, Motorola India had also confirmed on Twitter that Moto G4 Plus will be getting Android 8 update.

Motorola India confirmed that moto g4 plus will receive android oreo..but no specific time..being a lenovo moto i think at least 1 year wait pic.twitter.com/k1l8LVY7aM

— Krishnendu Ballav (@KrishnenduBall2) September 15, 2017

Read More: Android 8.0 Oreo Customs ROMs Arrives for Popular Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus, Motorola Phones & More

Motorola Officially Confirms Moto G4 Plus Android 8.0 Oreo Update

Motorola claims that the Moto G4 Plus was never meant to receive Android O and it had erroneously mentioned the software upgrade for it. It added that the company will keep the promise of releasing Android O for the handset. Since it will be an unplanned upgrade, it will take some time for the company to release the update. The Moto G4 and Moto G4 Play that were unveiled alongside G4 Plus will not be receiving Android 8.0 Oreo update. Android 7.0 Nougat is the last major update for the G4 and G4 Play handsets.

Here is the official statement.

“It’s been brought to our attention that there were some errors in our marketing materials around Android O upgrades (sic) for Moto G4 Plus. This was an oversight on our part and we apologize for this miscommunication. It’s our general practice for the Moto G family to get one major OS upgrade per device, but it’s important to us we keep our promises, so in addition to the N upgrade it has already received, we will be upgrading Moto G4 Plus to Android O. Because this is an unplanned upgrade, it will take some time to fit it into our upgrade schedule. Watch our software upgrade page for more information.”-Motorola

(source|via:1,2)

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Google has confirmed that it will officially unveil the latest version of its OS tomorrow. Still called Android O for now, an official countdown page has been setup.

The countdown page reveals that the launch which will hold in New York can be live-streamed at 2:40 PM EST (6:40PM GMT). The Android O page also has a link to livestream the solar eclipse set to occur tomorrow.

Eligible Devices

Android O will have version version number 8.0 and will roll out to devices starting tomorrow, beginning with the Pixel and Pixel XL. Eligible Nexus devices will follow suit.

For non-Google devices, there have been a number of announcements from manufacturers. Below is a short list of the devices that are confirmed to get the Android O update:

• OnePlus: OnePlus 3, OnePlus 3T, and OnePlus 5
• Nokia: Nokia 3, Nokia 5, Nokia 6, and Nokia 8
• ASUS: Zenfone 3 and Zenfone 4 smartphones
• Samsung: S8, S8+, S7, S7 Edge, A series (2017), A Series (2016) to name a few.

What’s it going to be called?

With respect to the name, most people want it to be called Android Oreo just like the popular chocolate cookie. Popular leaker, Evan Blass tweeted an image of an Oreo Cookie yesterday hinting at the name being Oreo.

Be honest with me: I should have rotated it 90 degrees CCW, huh? pic.twitter.com/bqfhxMwhyC

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) August 19, 2017

Another treat that seems to be a strong contender for the name is Oatmeal Cookie. The line “oc-dev” was seen back in June in the code for the OS by tech website Myce. The belief is that the alphabets OC is short for Oatmeal Cookie.

#AndroidO? 8.O, O, O, O, O, O, O or O… pic.twitter.com/YvzhCk2DJv

— Hiroshi Lockheimer (@lockheimer) August 19, 2017

Senior Vice-President of Platforms and Ecosystems at Google, Hiroshi Lockheimer also shared a screenshot of his Google Drive account that shows a bunch of names for Android O. Some of these names are treats while others are just random words that begin with the alphabet.

Features of Android O

Android O is expected to come with a bunch of new features. The major ones are picture-in-picture video which lets you watch videos while working with other apps; adaptive icons; notification dots which are just like notification badges on app icons; and new circular emojis that replace the blob-faced ones.

(Sources: 1, 2, 3)

The post Grab Your Oreo Or Oatmeal Cookies For The Android O Launch Tomorrow appeared first on Gizmochina.

Google is always late to the party when it comes to features that should already be available on Android. Thanks to third-party versions of the Android OS, we have been able to get some much-needed features without waiting for Google. One new feature coming to Android is in-band ringtone support.

In-band ringtone is a feature that allows your Bluetooth headset to ring with the same ringtone as your phone instead of that annoying beep you hear. This feature has been available on iOS for years and A search on the web will show you Android users have been asking for it to be enabled as far back as 2009.

The feature will be added to Android O when it launches. It remains to be seen if Google will find a way to make it available for previous versions of Android.

Another Bluetooth feature coming to Android is battery level indicator for connected devices. This has been available for years on iOS and some third-party OEMS’s custom version of Android. However, it will just be coming to Android.

READ MORE: Lenovo Abandons Vibe UI, Now To Use Stock Android On Its Phones

Android O will also have Sony’s LDAC which allows you to stream audio wirelessly at a higher quality rate. Current streaming rate is about 330kbps but LDAC wil push it to 990kbps. The gripe with this new feature is that your Bluetooth audio device must have LDAC built-in and right now only Sony’s audio devices seem to be the supported ones.

(Source, via)

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Earlier this month, it was reported that the Android O may debut in the second week of this month. Fresh information shared by David Ruddock, the managing editor of Android Police reveals that Android O release has been delayed. However, there is no information available on why Google may have delayed the release of Android O.

Google Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones were expected to get the final version of Android O by mid-August. However, the tweet from Ruddock states that the Android O update for Pixel has been pushed back. Through another tweet he maintains that it is a completely unverifiable rumor. His other tweet suggests that Google may do something grand on the release of Android O. However, it is unlikely to hold a launch event for it.

https://twitter.com/RDR0b11/status/895711402995757056

https://twitter.com/RDR0b11/status/895720628426166273

Read More: Renders of Google Pixel 2 Leaked in High-Resolution Images

There is a possibility that the Android O may still contain some bugs and the company is trying to fix them before releasing a stable version for the Google Pixel smartphones. It is also likely that the upcoming Google Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2 that will come loaded with Android O will debut the new Android version. However, these smartphones are slated to get unveiled in October this year and Google may not delay the release of Android O to such an extent.

In the previous year, Google had released the Android 7.0 Nougat OS on Aug. 22 to a couple of Nexus devices before making it available on the original Google Pixel phones. Since Google has recently released the fourth and last Android O Developer Preview, it seems the currently delay may not be a long one and it may release at any time. Earlier rumors have revealed that this year Google will be releasing the Android O earlier this year. So, even though it is delayed now, Android O may hit Nexus devices and original Pixel phones before Aug. 22.

Google is yet to confirm on the official name for the Android 8.0 (Android O) operating system. The rumor mill has claimed that it may either arrive as Android Oreo or Oatmeal Cookie. Ruddock is of the view that the official name of Android 8.0 will be declared on Aug. 21, the day of the solar eclipse.

The LG V20 from last year was the first non-Google phone to arrive with Android Nougat preinstalled. Since the alleged Nokia 8 was spotted with Android 8.0 on Geekbench earlier this month, rumors claimed that the Nokia 8 could be the first non-Google to arrive preloaded with Android 8.0.

The post Android O Release Delayed? Official Name to Be Declared on August 21 appeared first on Gizmochina.

Android 8.0 is the upcoming version of the Android OS that will succeed Android 7.0 Nougat. The official name of the Android O is still under the wraps. Currently, the Android 8.0 version is being referred as Android O by various tech sites. Last year, Android 7.0 Nougat was officially released on Aug. 22. According to Android Police’s managing editor, David Ruddock, Google may release Android 8.0 in the coming week.

The first developer preview of the Android 8.0 was released in March followed by the second, third and fourth developer previews in respective months of May, June and July. The official Android Program Overview page states that the final version of Android will be releasing in the third quarter of this year.

At the start of June, Ruddock had claimed that Android O would be releasing in the first or second week of August citing an unnamed reliable source. He had claimed that the Android O would be releasing a bit earlier than Android Nougat in 2016.

https://twitter.com/RDR0b11/status/872150867784478720

https://twitter.com/RDR0b11/status/892805211395284992

Through a new tweet, Ruddock claims that the Android O update would be officially hitting Google Pixel devices in about a week. There is a possibility that its arrival may get delayed at the last moment. Hence, the search engine giant does not always make announcement on the arrival of updates.

Some rumor have claimed that the Android O will be officially introduced as Android Oatmeal Cookie. The references of Oatmeal Cookie were found in the Google I/O 2017 slides. Earlier rumors have claimed that it may arrive as Android Oreo. Apart from Google Pixel and Pixel XL phones, the Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X, Google Pixel C and Nexus Player are also expected to get Android O update. The upcoming Google Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2 flagship phones are likely to come preloaded with it.

The post Android O Releasing Officially in the Coming Week? appeared first on Gizmochina.

Google‘s upcoming Android version which is known by the code-name Android O is expected to be officially launched in the third quarter of the year which means it will drop any moment from now. But the actual name of Android O still remains a controversy that has persisted for a while now. The meaning has hovered between Oatmeal Cookies and Oreo for a long time now but Google’s VP Hiroshi Lockheimer seems to have hinted at another name entirely for the new Android version.

The Google senior VP who oversees Platforms and Ecosystem, including Android, shared a photo on Twitter which seems to suggest that the O on Android O may stand for Orangina. The photo contains a number of names including Onion and olive but Orangina is very much prominent than the others and is really the only sweet thing on the list. In case you don’t know, Orangina is a sweet carbonated orange drink found in France. The Google Exec didn’t disclose any thing else so we can’t be so sure about this. But if it eventually turns out to be true, this will be the first time Google’s naming convention would deviate from desserts and candies in the naming of Android. However, Oreo seems likely to be the name of the new Android OS, as the same VP had teased Oreo in the past. Google recently teamed up with Oreo to launched an Oreo minigame and also recently, Oreo cookies were laid out for the press at this year’s Google I/O event.

#nocomment pic.twitter.com/N23o1vblsA

— Hiroshi Lockheimer (@lockheimer) July 25, 2017

Related: Android 8.0 Update: Launching in Q3 2017 For AOSP & OEMs, Codenamed Oreo

Google has already confirmed that Android O will be available for AOSP and ecosystem releases in the third quarter of this year after the Fourth and final Developer Preview has rolled out. Although there is no specific release date yet, a number of sources are pointing to a release in August this year. Android 8.0 is expected to come with a number of new features, including support for picture-in-picture, application badges, notification dots, support for automatic filling, higher text selection, a substantial improvement of the notification system. There are also some changes seen in the Developer Preview already, such a new media notification, new icon and clock.

(source)

The post Google’s VP May Have Finally Revealed Android O’s Real Name appeared first on Gizmochina.

As promised a few months ago by the MIUI team, a stable Android 7.1.1 update is now rolling out to the Mi 5C.

The update which comes via a MIUI 8.5.3.0 update is over 1GB in size. You can decide to wait for the OTA or grab the file via the link provided below.

The beta version was already available for over three months already but is only now rolling out as a stable version.

Apart from the bump in version number, the update brings a number of new features and optimizations. For example, the number of system apps that autostart has been reduced by 41. A bug that affects the brightness when you switch from auto to manual has been fixed. There are also updates to the calculator and clock app.

The exciting part of the announcement is the promise to upgrade the Mi 5C to Android O. While the update might not come in time, it is still good news to know it will get it.

READ MORE: Xiaomi’s New Phone Sub-brand Will Be Called Lanmi (Blue Rice), First Device is the X1

The Xiaomi Mi 5C was released in February 2017 and is the first smartphone to be powered by Xiaomi’s own Surge S1 processor. It has a 5.15-inch display, 3GB of RAM, 64GB of storage and a 2860mAh battery.

(Source, Download Link)

The post Xiaomi Releases Android 7.1.1 for Mi 5C Via MIUI 8.5.3.0 Update, Promises Android O appeared first on Gizmochina.

Google‘s next operating system is already known to go by the model name Android 8.0 and its identified also with the codename Android O. The true meaning of the O is yet to be officially identified. While some think it is Android Oreo, a divergent speculation says it is likely Android Oatmeal Cookie. Another theory has emerged that argues that the O in Google’s Android O still stand for Oreo. As a matter of fact, both names are derived from biscuits but that isn’t the most important thing about the upcoming OS.

The Android O timeline has been buzzing steadily towards its official launch with progress being made with the release of the first, second and third Developer previews. While Google’s new OS seems to be mostly in a finished state, there are a few new additions to the developer previews. The first Developer Preview was launched in March this year with some update and in mid-May, the second Developer Preview was rolled out bringing more new contents. The third Android O Developer Preview for Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus Player, Pixel C, Pixel and Pixel XL devices hit the Internet in June bringing some new APIs that would appear in the final version. The release of the fourth and final version is expected any moment from now before the Stable ROM starts rolling out.

The post Android 8.0 Update: Launching in Q3 2017 For AOSP & OEMs, Codenamed Oreo appeared first on Gizmochina.

Before the introduction of Android Nougat moniker, it was referred to as Android 7.0 and Android N. Now, when the tech enthusiasts are speculating on the launch name of Android 8.0, a leaked information has hinted that it would be launching as Android Oatmeal Cookie. However, previous speculations claimed that Google’s Android 8.0 would be introduced as Android Oreo.

The Android 8.0 source code and commit logs contains some references to “oc-dev.” It is now being speculated that “oc” may probably stand for “Oatmeal Cookie.” This is not just one evidence that claim that Android 8.0 would be called Oatmeal Cookie. It is said that there were references of Oatmeal Cookie at the Google I/O 2017 event that was held in May this year.

However, before accepting Android 8.0 as Oatmeal Cookie, one should also consider that it could be a temporary codename that is being internally used to referred to Android 8.0. In 2013, Google had referred to Android 4.4 as Key-Lime Pie, but it was actually launched as Android KitKat. Hence, there is a possibility that Google introduce Android 8.0 with a different moniker.

Here are the references of Oatmeal Cookie in Google I/O slide

Looks like at least internally Android O is “Oatmeal Cookie.” Noticed this in an I/O slide. pic.twitter.com/9AZD0Zdc8l

— Yoni Samlan (@ysamlan) June 6, 2017

Oatmeal Cookie appears at I/O as (presumably) the internal codename for O, so I’m still hopeful for a release name of Android Oreo pic.twitter.com/LRHihJvtNs

— WhiteTiger (@WhiteTigerAE) May 19, 2017

Oatmeal cookie used on one of the slides. Might be the name of the next #Android version? #io17 pic.twitter.com/jxYj9c2Ng4

— bolot (@bolot) May 18, 2017

Read More: Android O Official OTA Release for Pixel in August

As far as Android Oreo moniker is concerned, it seems that it won’t be happening because Google and Nabisco reportedly could not development an agreement on using “Oreo” name for Android 8.0. The first developer preview of Android 8.0 was released in March. In May came its second developer preview. Earlier this month, the third Android 8.0 developer preview was released. Google is expected to release the last developer preview soon and in the third quarter of this year, Google will be releasing the final version of Android 8.0 At that time, its actual moniker will be announced.

It goes without saying that the Google Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2 smartphones will come preinstalled with Android O. Also, the Android O be also brought first to last year’s Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones. In 2016, the first non-Google branded smartphone to deliver Android 7.0 out-of-the-box experience was LG V20. Speculations have it that the LG V30 that is rumored to get announced on Aug. 31 would be the first non-Google phone to arrive preinstalled with it.

(source 1,2,3,4)

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Google is working on a new version of its Android OS and it is already available as a developer preview for a number of Google devices. Although Google hasn’t officially unveiled it as it is still called Android O, there is a chance an official announcement is near.

Managing Editor at Android Police, David Ruddock tweeted yesterday that the official OTA for Android O will be available in the first or second week of August for the Pixel. The info is said to be from a reliable source.

https://twitter.com/RDR0b11/status/872150867784478720

The announcement shows that the new version will be released earlier compared to Nougat last year. It also hints at a possible official unveiling in the coming weeks, most likely in July. So we can probably start guessing what the name will be. Oreo please!

A few manufacturers have announced which of their devices will be getting the update. Chinese smartphone manufacturer, Ulefone says the Power 2 will get the update before the end of the year. Last week, OnePlus announced the OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T will also get the update. HMD Global also revealed that the Nokia 3, Nokia 5 and Nokia 7 will also get updated.

READ MORE: This Google Pixel 2 Concept Teaser Suggests Dual Camera Setup & Full Screen Display

Up until last year, the announcement of a new Nexus phone/device was when we got to see the new version of android. We don’t know if Google will return to that format this year. The chances are very slim but it would be nice to have the Pixel 2 launch earlier than October.

Android O brings a number of new features such as picture-in-picture mode, adaptive icons, LDAC Codec, and an improved notification management system.

(Source, via)

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OnePlus is probably the first to announce which phones will get updated to Android O. CEO, Pete Lau took to Twitter to announce that the OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T will both be updated to Android O.

A lot of you have been asking, so I'm proud to say Android O will come to OnePlus 3 and 3T.

— Pete Lau (@petelau2007) May 31, 2017

So if you own either one of these two phones, be rest assured that the update will reach your phone. You shouldn’t expect a time frame for the update as Google hasn’t yet officially unveiled the OS. It still doesn’t have a name yet, although at the Google I/O event, there were packs of Oreo cookies available for the attendees to snack on.

This is probably a hint that it will be called Android Oreo.  By now, everyone should know that the Android versions are named after sweet treats.

READ MORE: Elephone Teases New Flagship, Will Run Android 8.0

The OnePlus 3 was discontinued when the OnePlus 3 was released and OnePlus announced the same fate for the 3T last week. However, it promised that it will continue to provide software updates for both devices.

(Source)

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Google I/O, traditionally, is a developer-centric conference but we have seen in the past few years that most of the new announcements made at the event directly affect / improve the experience of Google‘s customers. This year was no exception, with the Google I/O 2017 kicking off with some interesting product announcements and updates. Many of the new tech revealed at the event affect us in our day to day life which means it’s worth checking out what’s new from the company. The company seems to have heavily worked on visual recognition and features in 2017 and we can clearly see the advancement in this department in the tech mentioned below.

So, here are some of the key Google I/O 2017 Highlights:

1. Smarter Machine Vision

Google’s Computer Vision AI has become smarter and the camera app itself could get some really cool features such as removing obstacles from the pictures captured on the screen. Using the additional information, the AI can do a lot of things, like automatically make a dull and noisy low-light image clearer. The teaser shown at the event revealed the AI removing the entire fence from the frame to keep the girl playing baseball intact in the image.

2. Google Lens

Google Lens seems to be the next big thing in machine-based visual recognition. Google’s visual recognition tech has improved to such a great level that you can get a ton of features by just using the phone’s camera. All you have to do is just point at an object and the phone’s powerful AI will show you relevant content right inside the camera interface. For example, if you point at a restaurant, the Google Lens app will display its ratings right on the camera screen.

If you remember, this app kind of reminds me of the HERE City Lens app that we had on the earlier Nokia Lumia smartphones. It sure was cool back then and with the new tech, the Google Lens app will take things to a whole new level.

The Lens app can do a lot more, like connecting to the Wi-Fi network just by scanning the preset Wi-Fi settings on the router, or identifying a flower just by pointing the camera at it.

Well, get ready to see a lot of people pointing their smartphones at random objects on the road soon.

3. Google Assitant For iPhones

Move over Siri, Google Assistant is here to make you insecure. In just a year after launching the company’s personal assistant for Android phones, the Google Assistant is available to the iPhones via an app on the store. It brings familiar features as the Android version, but it’s not directly baked into the OS, which gives Siri a natural advantage.

Note that Google Assistant for iPhones isn’t a big deal as the assistant is now expanding to a lot more smart home products. Just watch out for the logo (yellow red green and blue dots) on the product to see if it has Google Assistant inside.

4. Android O Enters Beta

Yes, after announcing the developer preview version back in April, the Android O Beta build is now available to beta testers. Unfortunately, you can become a beta tester only if you own a recent Nexus or Pixel device.

Battery life has always been the focus on new Android versions and the same applies to Android O. The new version aims to preserve device battery by limiting resource consumption by each app in the background. There are a lot of smart stuff being tailored in order for the background apps to reduce as much power consumption as possible.

Apart from improving the OS speed, what’s significantly improved is the boot time. For example, the Google Pixel with Android O would take less than half as much time as an Android Nougat running unit. Also, there are new things like picture-in-picture, notification dots etc to improve the user experience.

5. Android Go aka Android Lite

For a lot of current Android users, Android Go may not matter much, but for the billions of users that are still to jump onto Google’s mobile platform, especially from the developing markets where mobile phone specs are entry level to keep the price low, Android Go is a game changer.

It’s a slimmed down version of Android specifically targeted at super low-end smartphones. While I understand that the specifications of entry-level smartphones, even the ones that cost less than $100 have improved significantly, Android Go would probably benefit phones that are even cheaper! We are talking phones with less than 1GB of RAM and a super entry level chip. For them, Android Go would make sense since it uses less data, supports multiple languages and makes Android bearable for low-end hardware. Get ready for a set of Android Go supported Google apps to be highlighted on the play store. Each app is said to be under 10Mb.

Overall, the Google I/O had some really interesting tech announcements yesterday. What do you think?

The post Google I/O 2017 Highlights: New Announcements That Matter To You! appeared first on Gizmochina.

Google announced the first Android O Developer Preview just 3 weeks ago but seems phone manufacturers are trying to stay ahead of the game. The developer preview is officially only available for select Google Nexus and Pixel phones users but Google usually releases the source code to its Android partners in order for them to be able to update their own software ahead of when the source code would enter the public domain.

Despite this known fact, it still is a surprise that Huawei is already testing the Android O builds on its flagship devices. Fans love it when updates hit their phones earlier than later and Huawei would obviously like to catch in on that. Internal testing builds of Android O for the Huawei Mate 9 was recently revealed by a Mate 9 user on XDA forum, revealing that the Chinese company is already working to update its latest EMUI version in order to bring in all the enhancements that Android O has to offer.

As you should know,  developer preview isn’t for everyday use but for developers and this isn’t different. The Mater 9 user noted that it came pre-rooted but it has a number of issues. Applications like Google Play Store does not work except Google Play services are sideloaded.  It is missing all language options apart from Chinese (Mandarin) and English and also does not feature a System Update app or eRecovery, WiFi seems to have some issues working well too, among several other issues. However, a few new things are said to have been noticed on the build such as a new files app and new developer options.

Read Also: Android O Developer Preview Now Available; Brings Enhanced Notifications, Improves Battery Life, PiP Mode, More

It is not as if the build is expected to be complete, considering that it is likely an internal testing build meant for Huawei engineers to test Android O on their flagships. But it is a cheering news to Huawei phone users because this is a signal that Huawei is already working on Android O for the Mate 9. We can’t be so sure about this, though, because not all the evidential details were not posted by the source.

(source)

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The Android 8.0 Developer Preview is now available for the developers to download. Since it is a developer preview edition, it is not aimed towards general users. Google has cleared mentioned in the release notes of Android 8.0 that its Developer Preview is not intended for daily use on phone or tablet for non-developers. As of this writing, it is called Android O. The official name of the new Android version will be revealed after a few months.

There are several improvements included in Android O. With the new Notification Channels, users will have the power to see only those alerts that are relevant to them. For instance, if a user wishes to see only technology news alerts from his news app, he would be able to disable news from other categories. It will also let users to snooze notifications so that they can be seen later. Notifications can be also set to dismiss automatically. Notifications can also feature background colors so that they can be distinguished easily.

Background Limits has been added on Android O to improve battery life significantly. It can severely control the battery power consumption by limiting services running in the background. It can also restrict broadcasts and location updates. Autofill APIs can let users make use of an autofill app to easily fill login information such as usernames, addresses and passwords. Since it is an API, it can be supported and implemented by developers.

With Picture-in-Picture (PIP), users can continue to watch a video while answering a call. Apps can be made to run in picture-in-picture mode from a paused or resumed state. Developers can also modify the aspect ratio and assign customized interaction like play or pause.

Related: Larger non-Pixel Google Phone Codenamed as Taimen Rumored to Release This Year

With Adaptive Icons toolset developers can create icons of different shapes for different devices. For instance, the Twitter app can have a circular shape on Galaxy S8 and have a square shape on Pixel phone. Hence, OEMs can use them to provide users with unique icons.

For better audio experience through Bluetooth, Android O will carry support for LDAC codec. Wi-Fi Aware will make Android O devices to discover and connect with each other without Wi-Fi or data connectivity. The inclusion of new “arrow” and “tab” navigation will assist in better predictable navigation on keyboards. Android O supports Java 8 language APIs and offers optimized runtime.

The formal launch of Android O is expected to happen at the Google I/O 2017 event that will be held in May. It is currently available for Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus Player, Pixel C, Pixel, and Pixel XL.

(source)

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