After Google’s unexpected announcement of the first preview of Android Nougat, the company is launching the first developer preview for the next version of Android, code named Android O. It won’t deliver a major UI overhaul, but focus on tweaking the operating system’s core features set.
Listed below are some of the amazing features that Google mentioned, but it is said that you can expect much more in the future as this is just the first Android O preview:
Picture-in-picture mode
Picture in Picture (PIP) mode, users can continue watching their favorite YouTube video or Netflix TV episode while reading email or navigating around the OS. However, you have to resize a video to a small box in the corner, but it is still better than stopping and starting every time you need to do something else on the screen.
Better notifications
Notification overload has always been a source of irritation for Android users, but Android O is solving this problem with this new feature. Now, notifications can be segmented into several different channels such as sports news, text messages and music apps etc. and users can control each channel separately. In addition, users can even block a whole channel in just one go.
AutoFill
Google is adding platform support for AutoFill. When users select their preferred AutoFill app then it is will easily fill passwords as well as other details across the whole operating system.
Keyboard support
Google is adding better support for using keyboards in order to navigate apps. In other words, things like arrow keys as well as tab can be effectively used to navigate through apps. Thus, this is also one of the amazing features, which should not be overlooked.
Qualitative audio
Google is on its way to integrate new bluetooth technologies into Android O that paves the way for qualitative wireless music. The biggest feature is LDAC support, which is known as a proprietary Sony encoding system that ensures better and higher-bitrate music transmission over a regular Bluetooth connection.
New Wi-Fi features
Android O will support more Wi-Fi Aware features such as Neighborhood Aware Networking and this makes it easy for apps as well as devices to talk to each other without any internet connectivity. As per Google, it is working with partners to bring support for NAN to devices.
Better Battery Life
Google is introducing additional automatic limits on what apps can or cannot do in the background. This updated version places specific limits on implicit broadcasts, location updates as well as background services. Errant applications which you haven’t used in a long time can be prevented, thus saving battery life.
Adaptive Icons
This feature enable icons to easily adapt to whatever environment they are in, be it on a Samsung or LG device. As per the company, you can create adaptive launcher icons which are displayed by the system in different shapes, based on a mask selected by the device. In addition, the system also animates interactions with the icons, settings, shortcuts, launcher and overview screen.
These are some of the amazing features and apart from this, it includes an updated SDK that can be tested on the Android Emulator, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus Player, Pixel, Pixel XL as well as Pixel C. In addition, there is also an emulator on testing Android Wear 2.0 on Android O. It also brings with it optimisations for new runtimes for better stability as well as performance in apps designed particularly for Android O. On the other hand, Google is asking developers to make their app compatible with Android O so that all its users can have a seamless transition at the time of upgrading.
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Source: Android Developers Blog
