What To Expect From Today’s Android O Launch Event

The latest installment of Android software, known till now as Android O will finally get a name as it is all set to be unveiled today. The Android O launch event will start in the New York City today at 12:10 IST and incidentally will coincide with the America’s total solar eclipse. The speculations of Android O name have been revolving around Oreo or Oreolette or Octopus will unearth today.

The update will be available for download immediately for Google Pixel, Google Pixel XL and a few older Nexus phones. For other devices, users will have to wait for a bit longer before phone manufacturers roll out their own versions of the software.

Let us take a look at top features of Android O that surfaced over the beta version.

Overview

Google is finally redesigning the app icons in its new Android software. It has introduced the new adaptive interface allowing users to switch from round and square-shaped icons to a cylindrical-shaped one. Users will also be able to customise icons and add specific animated actions to each app. The settings menu will also get a new look. WiFi and Bluetooth settings will now fall under a single label. The battery icon has been enlarged which will tell the estimated power remaining indicator. Speculations have it that Android O feature will enable users to check the battery levels of Bluetooth devices paired to the smartphone.

Notifications

The notification system in Android O will now be available in the form of app badges, similar to iOS. The number of messages or missed call alerts for specific apps has now been replaced by a notification dot. In order to view the notification, users can press and hold on the app icon and swipe to dismiss it.

Picture-in-Picture (PiP) Mode

One of the biggest highlights of the update is the Picture-in-Picture (PiP) mode, which will allow users to reply to a text message while watching a video, simultaneously. It will let a user minimise one app into a smaller box open a second app at the same time. The feature will be available for all screen sizes.

Emoji

Apart from all the technicalities, Android O is all set to enhance your communication to another level with the addition of a new set of emojis. The emojis have been changed to round faces with a blob and new emojis that have been added which include a mermaid, fairy, wizard and a giraffe.

Google Play Protect

The Android O will come with an inbuilt security tool called Play Protect. Google had earlier informed that the Play Protect scans as many as 50 billion apps each day to ensure that the phones running Android are safe and malware-free.

With the new update, it would be interesting to see what Google actually enhances in terms of features and user experience. But, most important, how Android O would be able to protect sensitive data similar to the security assurance Apple offers.