Android
v7.0, Nougat was officially released last year in August year being
seeded to the Nexus devices and various OEM’s have rolled it out for
their flagships in the following months. Over time there has been
further iteration on the OS with Google improving on various points,
patching out bugs and security holes. This though has not detracted them
from working on the next iteration of Android OS, 8.0. As we approach
Google I/O scheduled to be held in May, the internet is abuzz with what
the next flavor of Android will bring to the table.
As
mentioned, there is very little information regarding Android 8.0, O to
go around currently. Official confirmation should only be forthcoming
during the Google I/O event as stated earlier. This though has not
damped the enthusiast communities from speculating which next features
that might potentially be part of the latest iteration of the OS.
A tipster had tipped off VentureBeat recently regarding some of these upcoming features and what to expect. One of these features is the called “Copy Less”,
a smart function copy-paste where the OS takes information and
automatically associates with applications / certain functions. This is
already implemented by custom skinned version of Android by brands like
Xiaomi to a limited extent. So, if you get a message containing an OTP
for an application, the OS smartly copies and applies the data in the
appropriate field. We will have to wait and see if Google will lock this
functionality behind an OS update or will provide it independently as
an update for their GBoard application.
Another
feature alluded to be included would be picked up from Google’s
longtime smartphone rival Apple’s cap: Responsive text. This feature
picks up details such as address, phone numbers, date et al and when you
interact with them, opens the respective application for it. While this
feature has already been partially updated in individual application
like the GMail Web app, it would be a good addition to the greater
Android ecosystem.
The final rumoured
feature that the tipster hinted was an evolution of various “Tap to
Wake” functions like Huawei’s Knuckle 2.0 or Nokia’s Z launcher gesture
function. The Mountain View based company is working on finger gestures
to trigger actions, where you can draw a specific symbols / alphanumeric
character and it will open up a corresponding application or set of
applications.
What is the next flavour of Android?
Apart
from the features, the next major tease of every new Android release is
speculating what its name would be. As Google has clarified that all
its builds will have a dessert connection, the Android community is
abuzz with what can O stand for. So the guessing game is already on for
which savoury sweet is going to be christen the next flavour of Android.
If
the next flavour is indeed Oreo, it would not be the first time the
Mountain View search giant has tied up with a known brand for promotion.
We all remember Android 4.0 christened KitKat and how Nestle reaped
benefits of being associated with such a massive promotion of its well
known wafer-chocolate with cross-promotions such as redeeming Google
Play Store credit from packages of certain editions of KitKat’s sold.
In
fact Hiroshi Lockheimer, the president of Android, put up a recent
tweet on twitter and one can never be too sure whether it is a funny
ribbing or a serious hint behind a veneer of humour.
This is all we currently have on what might be the next flavour of Android, what do you think about this information regarding Android 8.0, do you think it will be called Oreo or do you have your own theory, comment, share and discuss. Follow us on our social media to keep up-to date with the latest happenings in the world of Android.
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