Android O is expected to come to the market next, and there are some considerable changes expected in it. Android Nougat’s final version was released in August 2016, and O is expected to be released around the same time this year.
What to expect in Android O
Android O is expected to come with PIP-related code. Although the PIP code was introduced in Android Nougat, it was not available in default mode. The feature will allow users to watch their favorite videos and work on a Word document simultaneously, notes SlashGear. There are also expected to be other upgrades related to icons and the launcher on the home screen.
Further, apps with activated notification badges will likely be able to display badges, also known as small numbers. Users will be able to see the number of notifications that are unread. Although this feature exists in some third-party launchers, it is not compatible with all the apps because the feature does not have an official status, notes SlashGear.
Reports of Google introducing assistive features are also going around. VentureBeat stated that Google is working on a new assistive feature for its next OS. While one feature will work on reducing copy and pasting, another will enable gesture drawing to display information quick.
The feature “Copy Less” will copy only what is relevant from apps and surfaces when required. The feature will be designed in such a way that it is intelligent enough to pick the data that user is referencing.
It’s also rumored that Android O will adopt Chrome 57’s background throttling feature. This will help reduce the resources that are needed, such as battery usage, while apps and services run in the background. However, this could be a double-edged sword, as users will find some apps refreshing more frequently, something that iOS users have already complained about.
What will O be?
Android has a history of naming its updated operating systems for sweet treats, with the names coming in alphabetic order, such as Cupcake, Donut, Eclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich, Jelly Bean, KitKat, Lollipop, Marshmallow and Nougat. So now it’s O, but what this O will be is still a mystery (any guesses?).
Meanwhile, Google is still introducing new features and fixes in Nougat. In January, the beta version of Nougat was released, which was “an incremental maintenance release focused on refinements, so it includes a number of bug fixes and optimizations, along with a small number of enhancements for carriers and users.”
