May 03, 2024 | Updated: 11:35 AM EDT
Apr 10, 2017 11:37 AM EDT
The developer preview of Android 8.0 O is now currently out, giving a closer look at what Android Nougat's successor has in store. While the developers' blog doesn't mention anything about the next version's name, the word in town is its Oreo; it does showcase a ton of upcoming improvements and several elements, from battery life to various viewing modes.
Google had lots of changes and new features in the Android Nougat which were heartily loved by Android users and developers. As noted by Android-Developers Blog below is 10 of the top Android O features to look forward to:
1. Adaptive Icons. Android 8.0 O is bringing something called "adaptive icons" to the table, allowing developers to package their apps with various shape options for their icons: squircle or a square with rounded corners, circle, and more. Apart from solving the blending-in problem, this feature will also take customizations to the next level to boot.
2. Autofill. With Android 8.0 O you can choose a password manager which will handle all your autofill needs. And by "all," it means everything.
3. Audio Quality. Audio Quality Audiophiles won't go wrong with a combination of an Android phone and a pair of Bluetooth earphones in the latest Android update. Android 8.0 O will bring in support for high-quality Bluetooth audio codecs.
4. Battery. Android 8.0 O will limit the activity of apps in the background when you have others open. For example, when Google Maps is open in the background, it'll do location updates less frequently.
5. Keyboard. Keyboard Developers are going to get better support in making navigation easier in apps during Android 8.0 O. This spells good news for users of Android tablets with physical keyboards and Android Apps for the Chrome OS.
6. Lock Screen. Shortcuts on the lock screen are not unheard of, but they haven't exactly gone beyond quick access to the camera or Google Assistant. That's going to be changed with Android 8.0 O update, although, as it'll give you more options to customize your lock screen.
7. Multi-Display. Multi-display support is going to come soon. With this you can finally launch an activity on a remote display. This means you can move one activity from one display to another seamlessly.
8. Notifications. Android 8.0 O will bring more control over notifications, means more control over the pop-ups that may or may not bug you. Called "notification channels," Android 8.0 O will let you set app notifications into groups.
9. Picture-in-Picture. You've probably seen picture-in-picture on the YouTube app, but that's when the video you're viewing continues to play in a smaller overlay window when you tap the Back button. Android 8.0 O is basically spreading that feature outside the YouTube app, if you're using a supported video app.
10. Wi-Fi. Android 8.0 O is adding something called Wi-Fi Aware to the mix, which was previously known as Neighbor Awareness Networking or NAN. This will let devices communicate with one another via Wi-Fi even without the middleman, aka an internet access point.
For the record, the developer preview shows even more things of Android 8.0 O which are making their way to Android users. It's also worth mentioning that Android has recently became the most popular OS in the world, and with these features in tow, it's going to live up to that honor even more closely.
