According to a new piece of info provided by David Ruddock, Android O update for Google’s Pixel phones has been delayed. Many Google Pixel owners expected that the final build of Android O will land on the Google Pixel and Pixel XL in mid-August, but it seems like that will not happen after all. So, is it possible that the Google Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2 might get this update first? As those two phones will launch with Android O out of the box, or will the two already released Pixel devices get it via an OTA update before Google introduces next-gen models? Well, that’s a difficult question to answer, we’ll simply have to wait for more info.
Now, some of you might recall that Google pushed out Android 7.0 Nougat update to a number of Nexus devices last year, before the Google Pixel and Google Pixel XL arrived, which is why the Google Pixel and Google Pixel XL users hoped that they’ll be the first to get Android O via an OTA update. Google will not host a press conference for the launch of the final build of Android O, that’s for sure, but we will get a taste of it when the company announces next-gen Pixel phones in October or November. It’s still quite likely that the existing Pixel devices will get the update first, but that’s just an educated guess. Having said that, the fourth Android O Developer Preview had been launched recently by Google, and that’s basically a late beta build of the OS, Google still needs to iron out some bugs and what not, which is probably why the update got delayed.
Android O, which will probably be called ‘Oreo’ or ‘Oatmeal’, is expected to bring a number of new features to Android, along with a ton of refinements. Android O will not completely redesign Android OS, it is basically just a refinement of Android 7.X Nougat, as it will bring a number of new options for the notification shade, which will make you even more productive, while some new battery saving features will also be included in this update. Google will introduce the ‘Picture-in-Picture’ mode with Android O as well, which has been one of the most requested features by Android users. Adaptive icons and badges are also coming, and we’re only scratching the surface here.