On Monday, Google finally gave a name to its upcoming Android version, which previously was known only as Android O. However, as usual, the update will not be available for everyone at the same time, given the problem of Android fragmentation.
List of Android phones to get Oreo
With several versions of the OS still being used in the market, Android devices have to be upgraded to be compatible with the latest version. This requires an investment of both time and effort, and therefore, only a handful of devices will get the upgrade initially. According to the data from Android Dashboard, about 12.3% of Android devices are running on Android Nougat, and 1.2% are running Nougat 7.1 as of August 2017. Even older versions such as Marshmallow and Lollipop are still dominant in the market.
There is no set time when specific devices will get the new version. However, we can be sure that first Android phones to get Oreo will be Google devices like the Nexus 5X and 6P and the Google Pixel and Pixel XL. The software development for all these devices is in-house, making them the first it to get the updates. Although network compatibility with the newer version remains to be seen, it should not take very long.
Next in line could be phones from HMD Global, a manufacturer of Nokia-branded smartphones. During the launch of the Nokia 8, HMD announced that it would be one of the first phones to get the Android O update. Further, the manufacturer said that it has been “deep in development” of Android Oreo for the Nokia 8 smartphone and will roll it out quickly. In addition to the Nokia 8, the Nokia 6, Nokia 5, and Nokia 3 will also get Android Oreo.
The Essential PH-1 smartphones are also in the queue to get Android Oreo. Essential is a startup by Andy Rubin, the co-founder of Android. The tech community and enthusiasts have high hopes with the PH-1, the phone that will supposedly sport a 5.7-inch QHD edge-to-edge display with a home button, 13 MP dual-lens rear camera, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, an 8MP front camera and 4GB of RAM + 128GB of storage.
Other original equipment manufacturers like Samsung, Huawei, General Mobile, HTC, Kyocera, LG, Motorola, Samsung, Sharp and Sony are also on the list to launch or update their Android phones to get Oreo before the end of the year. OnePlus has also assured users that the OnePlus 3, OnePlus 3T and OnePlus 5 will get Android O.
What’s special about Android Oreo?
Google’s Android Oreo is touted to be not just faster, but also more powerful than ever. Several new features like picture-in-picture and Autofill will make it just seamless for users to perform any task. With Android Oreo, users will be able to perform various fingerprint-based gesture controls rather than just locking and unlocking their phones.
Google has also changed the emoji, and the new ones look similar to those on the iPhone. Earlier, Android emoji were blob-faced, but Android Oreo will be entirely compatible with Emoji 5.0. There are also new additions such as an orange heart, dinosaurs and vomit face.
Further, the new Android version comes with enhanced security protection. The Android O allows users to set places where it wants to connect with Wi-Fi, making phones less vulnerable to random Wi-Fi connections.
