Huawei is already testing an Android O build for the Mate 9, one member of the XDA Developers boards claims. The Chinese consumer electronics manufacturer reportedly started the process of updating its proprietary EMUI launcher in an effort to make it compatible with the upcoming major iteration of Google’s operating system. The initial build based on the first developer preview of Android O is missing some key features and only supports English and Mandarin Chinese, the source said, noting that the software is also missing eRecovery and Huawei’s System Update app. None of that is particularly surprising considering how the build itself was likely made for the purposes of internal testing and will never be pushed out to users in its current form.
As shown in the gallery below, the device that’s said to be running Huawei’s internal testing version of Android O features a build labeled with the number MHA-AL00C00B007-log. Apart from revealing the phone depicted in the image is a Chinese variant of the Mate 9, the number also indicates that the software build of the smartphone is a brand new one seeing how version C00B007 hasn’t been made publicly available so far. Finally, the build number also suggests that the device is running EMUI 5.1, though that’s likely incorrect and Huawei simply hasn’t yet decided on how the new version of EMUI is going to be called. Build numbers aside, the second picture in the gallery below shows the same device running the new picture-in-picture mode, an exclusive feature of Android O.
Regarding Android O itself, the software introduces numerous new features, changes, and optimizations meant to improve the overall user experience of Google’s omnipresent operating system. The latest major iteration of Android puts automatic limits on background activity of apps and ships with a number of performance tweaks developed with the goal of maximizing battery life. Android O also features support for Notification Channels that allows users more control over the type of notifications they’re receiving. Furthermore, the initial developer preview of Android O ships with platform support for the Autofill Framework that provides developers with the option of creating apps that facilitate the process of logging into websites and filling online forms. Other key features of Android O include adaptive icons, improved keyboard navigation and audio performance, and ennobled support for wide color gamut displays. First stable builds of Android O will likely start hitting compatible devices later this year, and more information on the matter should be available shortly.
