Google will soon release its latest Android O update and it seems all the manufacturers are now gearing to roll out the latest update to their latest smartphones. Joining this bandwagon is Sony.
According to a Japanese website, Sony will be releasing the Android O update for its latest smartphones. This include Sony XZ Premium (G 8141, G 8142), Sony Xperia XZS (G 8231, G 8232), Sony Xperia XA 1 (G 3121, G 3123, G 3125, G 3116, G 3123), Sony Xperia L1 (G3311, G3312, G3313), Sony Xperia X Compact, Sony Xperia XZ (F 8331, F 8332), Sony Xperia X Performance, Sony Xperia X (F 5121, F 5122) and Sony Xperia XA 1 Ultra (G 3221, G 3212, G 3223, G 3226).
To recall, Google took the wraps off from the latest version of the Android operating system during its annual I/O developer conference. Android O can be broadly classified into two categories namely ‘fluid experiences’ and ‘Android vitals’. The fluid experience caters to all the interesting features, which include the much-awaited picture-in-picture mode through which one can manage two tasks simultaneously. So, for example, one can minimise a YouTube video while sending a text message or writing an email.
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Under interesting feature is the Notification dots, which are basically tiny chat heads for notifications. The user can long-tap on a Notification Dot and it will preview the notification, and one can swipe to dismiss, drag down to see the full notification or tap to open the app. The dots will extract the colour from the icon, making it easier to distinguish between different notifications.
Other than this, there is smart text selection, which uses machine learning to copy/paste, to let Android recognise entities like addresses, URLs, telephone numbers, and email addresses. Then there is Autofill with Google that simplifies setting up a new device and synchronising passwords by bringing Chrome’s Autofill feature to Android.
Android vitals, basically make your Android devices secure and focus on optimising battery life, startup time, graphic rendering time, and stability. The latest update will help make apps run faster and smoother through system optimisations. Google has also put background limits, which protects your smartphone from getting overused by certain apps running in the background. The limit will stop apps from using too many resources like locations, Wi-Fi scans, and too much battery drainage.
Then there is a new Android Vitals Dashboards in the Play Console, which help developers pinpoint common issues in their apps – excessive crash rate, ANR rate, frozen frames, slow rendering, excessive wake-ups, and stuck wake locks, including how many users are affected, with guidance on the best way to address the issues.