Google’s Android is an active operating system for the greater part of the last ten years. It has been specially designed for mobile touchscreen devices such as tablets and smartphones. With the development of technology, this OS has also been included in more recent smart devices like smartwatches.
Android has greatly developed over the years and became the best-selling OS. Google and Open Handset Alliance companies have released 26 different version of the software. The new Android version is known as Android 8.0 Oreo and it really looks very promising. However, in order to determine what kind of response it can receive, we must look at this latest software in more detail.
What’s New in Android 8.0 Oreo?
Before we can look at the new features in Android 8.0 Oreo, it is important to understand that there are some features of Android that stays the same.
A very good example of this is the usability. Android has managed to keep a very good reputation when it comes to usability. The Android Operating system is one of the easiest to learn and get accustomed to and version 8.0 follows suit.
Here is a review of some of the new Android 8.0 features:
The Look
The new Android OS looks better than ever. Here are some of the changes:
Amazing interface
Not many people can easily determine the visual difference between the previous Android operating system (Android Nougat) and the new Android OS. However, some changes can be made to improve the overall usability of the software.
The most convenient part to start is the settings menu. There are certainly noticeable changes from what Android delivered in the previous version.
Initially, you will notice that the icon for the settings menu is smaller in size compared to previous versions. You have a lot of options already subdivided into different categories. For example, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and data services belong to the umbrella of Network and Internet.
All the above options can be easily accessed in the notifications shade. However, in certain cases, other critical information, such as battery life and storage are not shown. This is due to the introduction of the feature that shows the summary of the settings.
In terms of color, the new notification panel has a grey background with black icons. This gives it a simple but incredible look.
Android has made the most impressive quality of notifications category. Therefore, many users expect nothing but an upgrade in this sector. Something Android 8.0 has delivered.
The drop-down menu
With Android version 8.0, there are 4 improved options when you access the drop-down menu. These options include:
- Adaptive brightness,
- Wallpaper, and
- Night Light.
These are some of the most important tools most Android users need. And this is not enough though, when users tap the icon next to advanced, they will be able to access more options. Some of these advanced options include choosing the display timeout, the device’s screensaver, and many other different options.
Android 8.0 Oreo also enables users to rearrange the order in which their quick settings appear. So, with the new operating system, it is easy to notice a change in the icons location. For example, User, Edit, and Settings icons have moved down to Quick Settings for more comfortable usage on larger phones or tablets.
These icons have now been placed at the bottom of the screens display. This change is especially important for users who operate devices with bigger screens.
Notification cards
Google has made the notification cards slicker. This simply means that you will be able to see notifications from applications that cannot be fitted on your screen.
These icons can either become full notification cards or go return to their initial size on the notifications tray. This depends on whether you expand your notification list or not.
You can also expand the notifications for applications running in the background to get the information you need. In version 8.0, these applications are always in condensed form.
Media
Google music for Android 8.0 Oreo has also been given an incredible makeover. Fans of this application will notice that all the control icons are in the color pattern of the album cover.
Google has finally decided to put Android’s color palette API for this version. This was initially seen in the version 5.0 and is the real reason why the color in media notifications can change depending on the art.
So, why is this feature so interesting? Well, for big fans of music, it will be a great experience seeing a different color scheme for every song they listen to. This feature works well in the new operating system and is definitely one of the best Android 8 features.
Launcher Experience
When it comes to these functions, there aren’t any noticeable changes in version 8.0. Like in previous versions, long pressing your home screen will direct you to options that enable you to select various widgets and change your wallpaper.
Another function that has stayed pretty much the same is the ability to make any changes to your home screen by accessing the home screen settings.
However, there are two new features that have been introduced in Oreo. These features include:
- Notifications dots,
- Adaptive icons.
What are notification dots and adaptive icons? Notification dots are features that have been added to act as a reminder that you have some unread notifications. They are designed to notify the users and make alerts by using the color scheme of the app.
These alert notifications can be accessed by long pressing the app’s icon. The user can then choose to open these notifications or ignore them.
Today, there are a lot of Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM is an organization that provides parts, equipment or accessories that may be merchandised by other organizations). Due to this, Google needed to find a way to make icons look great regardless of the device they’re on. This is where adaptive icons come in.
App developers now don’t have to worry about the size of the icon of their application. With adaptive icons, app creators are only required to make a very large background for the application. Version 8.0 has the ability to mask this background with various shapes to make the app’s icon look more adapted for your device.
Among the changes in Android 8.0 Oreo is the ability to change the shape of your icons. Some of the included options are circular, square, and more interestingly teardrops.
The visual aspect
One aspect that has really come a long way with mobile devices is the visual display. A maximum screen aspect ratio of 1.86.1 was uniform for all the previous Android devices.
The latest mobile devices have aspect ratios that are taller and narrower than previous versions. For example, the Galaxy S8 has a ratio of 18.5.9. Android 8.0 Oreo does not have a default aspect ratio compared with previous Android versions.
It is important to include the fact that this concept has not yet been fully incorporated in many Android devices. The independent companies that make these devices will have to incorporate these features in their products and this can take some time.
Another incredible Android Oreo feature is that it supports wide-color gamut apps. According to Google, this will enable applications to appear more colorful on the display. This feature is quite advanced for most phones at the moment. Only devices with HDR display technology can support this feature.
Many phones will have this technology by next year and many users will be able to take advantage of this amazing feature.
The new Android Oreo Easter egg and Emoji
For some individuals, this may be a feature that can be considered irrelevant. However, Google emphasizes that this feature adds to the Oreo experience.
The Android Oreo Easter Egg is an octopus that is designed to be moved from one part of the screen to another. Its size can be modified based on the position of your mobile device.
There isn’t more to this feature; however, this is a major component of the new operating system experience.
Control
Version 8.0 offers the following:
Users have more control
The one thing previous Android versions did not completely offer to the user was control. This has been changed in version 8.0. Google has added Android Oreo features that can enable the user to control what apps processes need more resources.
They also have the ability to affect how the notifications from various applications will be handled and it does this effectively.
So how does it allow users to handle notifications? Among the Android 8 version features is the ability to silence or snooze your notifications.
You can partially swipe the notification to decide how you would like to respond to it. There are basically two options at your disposal. You can either go to the notification channel for that particular app or set a timer on the notification so you can access it later.
Notification channels
Another feature that has been created to handle the notifications is the notification channel. It is imperative for all applications that are targeted at Oreo’s API to have notification channels.
Application creators will then take their time to point out all the various kinds of notifications in their apps they like and Android 8.0 will further enable the user to pick their favorite channels.
Users can access the notification setting of any application. They can then proceed to silence the notifications of that application if they choose to do so. They can also allow the use of notification dots (explained above) or turn on a particular notification channel.
Basically, there are three different options the notification channel gives to the user. Users can disable the notifications, make no changes or personalize their notification channel. For example, users will be able to select their preferred notification sound, select vibration or not etc.
Picture-in-picture mode (PIP)
PIP is a feature that is familiar to individuals who has Android TV. Google has decided to incorporate this feature in mobile devices, making it one of their biggest upgrades.
How big of an innovation is this? Imagine being able to perform a different task on your mobile device while watching a video from a separate application. Well, that is what PIP allows you to do.
When you touch the home key, your video will remain floating on the bottom left of your device’s display. This window can be moved around the screen. You can also touch the video to access playback, fast forward or even make it full screen.
PIP, however, can be disabled for individuals who don’t find it particularly interesting or useful. Another key point to remember is that not all apps support PIP. Therefore this feature may be pointless for such applications.
Smarter Technology
The following features have been introduced under this category:
Oreo enables you to be smarter
It is pretty obvious that Oreo is the smartest Android operating system by far. This has been made possible by impressive features from Google such as Google Assistant.
In addition, Google has come a very long way with machine learning. This has also provided a much-needed boost in the development of Android 8.0.
So what is the result of this amazing technology? Well, for starters, Google has introduced the high-performance Bluetooth audio. Oreo is able to support a sound quality that surpasses human perception or what many other incredible advanced machines can produce.
That is how much an impact the Bluetooth audio is making in the android community. Another impressive feature is Bluetooth 5.
According to Google, Bluetooth 5 will enable devices to double their data throughput for relatively short distances or increase the ranges to as much as four times while reducing the throughput.
However, Bluetooth five has not yet been incorporated into hardware that comes with Oreo, something that is likely to change very soon and present updates.
Multiple display mode
The multiple display mode in Android 8.0 allows individuals to easily go from the small screen to the larger one, including switching the tasks.
Your mobile device will not have any trouble deciding which display is currently running and the transitions will be smoothly made.
Mouse pointers
Another important feature that has been added to the new Android OS is mouse pointer capture. Why is this necessary? There are several Android devices that can now be opened to mouse input. This also includes compatibility with external keyboards.
This feature needs some getting used to because using a keyboard to control a device like a smartphone is something not many individuals would consider normal.
Introduction of Android Instant Apps
This feature is quite revolutionary. It enables users to control applications that they do not install on their devices. This is a very good way to create more memory space for music, pictures videos and other documents or data that is more important.
Numerous fonts
One amazing feature of the Android platform is the ability to be customized. In previous versions, users could personalize the fonts on their mobile devices from a preselected number of fonts already added to the device.
Android version 8.0 Oreo takes choosing fonts to a whole new level. This time users have the ability to download fonts from 800 Google supported fonts libraries. This has been made possible by using the provider application.
This means that all the apps on your mobile device have a shared font because they are all linked to the provider app. The results of this are amazing.
Because all apps are linked to one font library, there will be a lot of memory saved. Not only this, Android version 8.0 also comes with limits for cached data as well. This will make sure your device does not run out of much-needed memory.
Wireless connection
Neighbor Awareness Networking has been introduced in the new Android operation system. What does Wi-Fi Aware enable you to? Well basically with this feature you will be able to make small Wi-Fi connections with various devices within your vicinity.
Now connections between devices can be made without using any access points that have been traditionally used for a very long time. However, like Bluetooth 5. This feature does not have hardware that supports it.
Conclusion
Many individuals can agree that this is the most impressive software Android has released to date. This new version has incorporated some of the features that were introduced in earlier software versions like the Nougat and made them even better.
Not only that, other features have been added that are not yet compatible with any hardware in existence. This clearly shows how advanced version 8.0 is. Google has also stayed true to its tradition of offering the user customizing capabilities.
Now the customizing has been taken to new levels which is nothing but incredible. This software has been designed not only to look flashy but to also function efficiently. Its memory saving capabilities must be commended as well.
There are obviously skeptics out there but there is no denying what an impact the new Android OS is making at the moment and will make for the OS of the future.
The release date of Android version 8.0 was set for August 21, 2017. Some devices like the new Pixel phone have shown what this operating system can do, proving it works perfectly. It is also important to get the latest news of Android 8.0 to know exactly what else to expect.
If you want to get more information about Android app development or need to build your own app don’t hesitate and contact our company!