Android Oreo begins public testing
Named after the famous chocolate biscuits, the new software will feature picture-in-picture modes, redesigned emojis and notification dots
A major update to Android smartphones and tablets is on the horizon as public beta testing starts for its new 8.0 Oreo operating system.
The new system has a host of features, which Engadget says includes "picture-in-picture multitasking" and better battery performance. It also comes with a redesigned set of emojis, as well as "notification dots" that quickly alert users to activity on an app.
The improved notification feature will help users "manage the volume of notifications on their devices", the BBC reports, rectifying the large amount of alerts known as "notification diarrhoea" on older versions.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Other improvements include a smart copy-and-paste feature that the broadcaster says "highlights an entire address, telephone number or web addresses when people try to copy it."
It's not the first time Google – the parent company of Android – has tied the name of its mobile operating system to a brand of sweets.
Before Android Oreo, which is named after the biscuit company, Engadget says Google used the KitKat name through a partnership with the chocolate company Hershey. Other operating system names include Marshmallow, Donut and Ice Cream Sandwich.
Android Oreo isn't ready for a rollout across smartphones and tablets yet, but The Verge says people on the company's Open Source Project public beta programme can now begin trialling the update.
Those with one of Google's Pixel or Nexus devices should receive the update "soon", the website reports, while other Android owners will have to wait longer before Oreo becomes available.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'Making a police state out of the liberal university'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
8 looming climate tipping points that imperil our planet
The Explainer New reports detail the thresholds we may be close to crossing
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Try 6 free issues of The Week Junior
Spark your child's curiosity with The Week Junior - the award-winning current affairs magazine for 8-14s.
By The Week Published
-
Justice Department bites Apple with iPhone suit
Speed Read The lawsuit alleges that the tech company monopolized the smartphone industry
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Artificial history
Opinion Google's AI tailored the past to fit modern mores, but only succeeded in erasing real historical crimes
By Theunis Bates Published
-
Is Google's new AI bot 'woke'?
Talking Points Gemini produced images of female popes and Black Vikings. Now the company has stepped back.
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Why Google search results have 'gotten worse'
Under The Radar Search engines are 'flooded' with 'garbage' content, say experts
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
2023: the year of the AI boom
the explainer This year, generative artificial intelligence bypassed the metaverse and became the next big thing in tech
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Phubbing: a marriage-wrecking habit?
Talking Point New study says couples are avoiding talking to each other by looking at their phones - but was it ever thus?
By The Week Staff Published
-
Is using Google's Enhanced Safe Browsing mode worth it?
Talking Point The mode has its positives and its drawbacks
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Google is pitching an AI journalism tool to major news outlets
Talking Point News executives find the technology called Genesis unsettling
By Theara Coleman Published