So the latest Google Android O developer preview is here and available to download for Pixel and Nexus devices. Let’s see what Google will offer us this time and if it is worth to install it on your Nexus smartphone right now?
The Interface
The home screen is very much similar to the Android 7.1 Nougat, same old app drawer and same features. The lock screen is also analogous to the one we saw on Android 7.1 Nougat only the ambient display is changed a little bit. All the notifications now go below the clock in the form of small icons and you can double tap on them to expand the notifications.
The quick menu on holding icons is still there and works same as before; more apps will adapt this once Android O will be out. The notifications also have been changed; now you can snooze them by partially swiping them left or right (see the gif), that notification will pop up again to remind you of it. Notifications will be presented in stacked form if from the same app, can be easily unstacked by swiping down.
The Settings in Android O
The setting menu gets updated every time Google upgrade Android; Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow got the Material design and Android 7.0 Nougat got the hamburger menu. This version of Android got the total overhaul of the settings menu. It got all new categories and cleaner look, Android seems to be borrowing this new look from the Windows 10 Mobile.
All the settings are similar as before, only that these are now categorized differently now. Each category holds some of the related settings which are shown below the group name. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are not a separate menu with a toggle switch; they are under different categories now. We don’t know if it’s a glitch or something but the “Memory” is now in the “Developer Options.”
Battery Performance on Android O
The battery page got a new interface; the graph part is replaced with a big battery icon and estimated time remaining. You can still get the graph by tapping the battery icon. Below it is the battery saver, adaptive brightness toggles and Sleep menu. Scrolling further on this page reveals the apps list using the battery.
Storage
Storage page in settings also get revamped, and if you look closely, then you’ll see than it looks similar to the one in Windows 10 Mobile. On the top is the amount of storage free and used with a Free Up Space button on it. Below these apps are the categories with different types of files like apps, games system and downloads.
What else we can expect in future builds?
Google added some features and settings which are not working right now or needs to be implemented by the developer on their apps. There is a PIP mode where you can convert your videos to a small floating window and continue watching it while working on something else. Google created the logo but haven’t decided the Easter Egg yet; it is still the cat catching Easter egg there. Tell us what you think about this build of Android O and what features you want to see in future builds. Read more about Android O here.
Add Comment