On Monday, August 21, Google introduced a new version of the Android OS (operating system) codenamed "Oreo." The recently released version ousts Android Nougat, which was released last year.
Taking into consideration that there are over a whopping 2 billion active Android devices at the moment, the update is likely to have a comprehensive effect on how much of the world interact with their Android-based devices.
Google has made a bunch of Android O features available for testing right now in the form of the developer preview.
In his latest report, Forbes' contributor Ryan Whitwam detailed three most important features included in Android 8.0 for those who did not have an opportunity to take a gander at the dev preview.
Background restrictions
Background processes will be treated differently in Android 8.0. In other words, some apps can work differently, while the battery might last a bit longer. Until now, developers could come out with apps that give heed to a wide range of system broadcasts, for instance, a change in connectivity. Such a broadcast can turn several other apps on and have an adverse impact on system performance.
This will not be the case anymore. According to Whitwam, it will be imperative for developers to employ more specific receivers as well as the job scheduler, which takes care of how apps in the background wake up in order to get tasks done.
Aside from that, the upcoming Android OS can recognize apps that are not connected to your activity on the phone but are still running background services.
Android Oreo is intelligent enough to abort these apps. They wake up only to start service and use relatively less power. This results in enhanced battery life.
Autofill API
While remembering long passwords is never easy, it is crucial in order to stay safe online. Although Android has a few password manager apps, they are quite clumsy and rely on several awkward workarounds to help a user copy and fill in his/her account details.
With the advent of Android 8.0, apps will be able to register as auto fill providers with the system and log a user in without breaking much of a sweat.
After selecting your language and input settings along with the autofill provider, Android will collect login details from the app everytime you need them. Before it loads any account related data, the system can double-check with secure unlock method or a fingerprint.
PiP (Picture-in-Picture) Video
Watching a video on your phone or tablet while doing something else was not possible until now, but Android 8.0 makes that a reality in the form of PiP (picture-in-picture) mode. The feature was originally planned to roll out with Nougat, but specifically on Android TV devices. Now, it will be available on phone and tablets as well.
Several apps including VLC, YouTube, and Chrome already support PiP video. This is how you can access the floating video player:
Start a video (full-screen mode) Tap the home button The video will become smaller and will continue playing at the bottom You can close, pause, or restore the video. This is a brief glimpse of what's coming to Android 8.0 Oreo. Nexus and Pixel devices are slated to receive the update in a matter of days, while others will have to continue waiting with bated breath to get their hands on the upcoming Android operating system.
