Android Oreo: A cheat sheet

Android 8 has officially been dubbed Android Oreo. This new iteration of the Android platform is already enjoying the third developer preview and is available for beta program phones. Android Oreo has very interesting tricks up its sleeve that promise new levels of security, performance, and productivity.

This cheat sheet is a quick way to get up to speed on Android Oreo. We’ll update this resource periodically when news and updates about Android Oreo are released.

SEE: All of TechRepublic’s cheat sheets and smart person’s guides

Executive summary

• What is Android Oreo? Android Oreo is the latest iteration of Android. This release includes features that will be crucial to bringing machine learning into focus on the platform, as well as interesting additions that make the mobile ecosystem much more efficient.
• Why does Android Oreo matter? AI is the future of mobility, and Android Oreo will introduce a subsystem that will help to accelerate neural network features–even bringing some of the AI components onto the device.
• Who does Android Oreo affect? Android Oreo will affect every Android user. As Google is on the forefront of AI, this upcoming release will be key to solidifying the platform within the realm of machine learning.
• When is Android Oreo available? Android Oreo has been pushed to the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), which means Oreo should be available for supporting devices in the very near future. The full release of Android Oreo is slated for Q3 2017.
• How do I get Android Oreo? If you have a supported device–a Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus Player, Pixel C, Pixel, or Pixel XL–you can enroll it in the Android Beta Program to get an early look at Android Oreo.

SEE: The Comprehensive Android Development Course Bundle (TechRepublic Academy)

What is Android Oreo?

Android 8.0 Oreo (previously dubbed Android O) is set to take the mobile landscape by storm when it is finally released.

Key to this next implementation of the Android platform is what Google has dubbed Fluid Experiences, which allows users to move from one app to another without interrupting their workflow, enabling a more productive and efficient experience. For instance, Picture-in-Picture allows for much better multitasking functionality.

Another Fluid Experiences feature is Notification Dots, which is a very simple addition to the home screen and App Drawer that informs users an action is available for a particular app. For instance, when you receive a new email, you’ll see a small dot over the app icon, indicating an active notification.

Other notable Android Oreo features include the following.

• Auto-Fill: This feature allows apps to automatically fill in usernames to make signing into apps and services more efficient.
• Notification Snoozing: Users can snooze notifications instead of only dismissing them.
• Better cache data management: Every app will have a cache data limit. When the system needs to free up memory, it will automatically delete cached data from apps that have exceeded their limit.
• Smart Text Selection: This feature will use machine learning to recognize commonly copied words (such as business names, phone numbers, URLs, etc.) and quickly copy them without having to select each letter or number of the intended selection.
• TensorFlow Lite: This subsystem will help apps perform significantly faster by way of on-device machine learning. This scaled-down version of Google’s machine learning tool uses Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) to improve the overall experience.
• Google Play Protect: This is Google’s way of upping the ante on security. Beginning with Oreo, Android will include a real-time security scanner that will scan all apps that come from the Google Play Store. This new system should go a long way to protect Android users from malicious software and data theft.
• Google Play Console Dashboards: This feature is aimed at developers only. It will display performance issues (such as battery drain, crashes, interface problems, etc.) to help developers resolve problems with their apps. This will greatly benefit all Android users because app problems will be resolved faster.

Additional resources

• Google reveals official name of Android O (ZDNet)
• 15 of the best Android Oreo features to get excited about (CNET)
• Google bestows Android O with the 8.0 version number (CNET)
• Android O wants to make your phone twice as fast (CNET)
• 14 new features in Android O you need to know about (CNET)
• Android O’s new battery menu will show you how each app is draining your power (ZDNet)
• With Android O, you may never have to download another app again (CNET)

Why does Android Oreo matter?

Android Oreo gives users the most efficient, productive, and secure Android platform. That, in and of itself, makes this one of the more significant releases to come from Google in some time.

With TensorFlow helping to bring machine learning directly to the hardware, Android will enjoy unrivaled mobile performance. And thanks to Fluid Experiences, users will also find that added performance improves productivity. Android Oreo should be one of the most productivity-friendly releases of the Android platform.

SEE: Ebook–Cybersecurity in an IoT and mobile world (TechRepublic)

To make this release even more important, Google Play Protect will ensure malicious software doesn’t make its way onto devices. This new security feature starts at the Google Play Store by scanning apps the second they are submitted and continues on to the device, where apps are scanned in real-time.

Additional resources

• 3 simple steps that help you avoid ransomware on Android (TechRepublic)
• Android Security Bulletin June 2017: What you need to know (TechRepublic)
• One kind of Android smartphone ransomware is behind a massive rise in malicious software (ZDNet)
• Can you trust your Android antivirus software? Malicious fake protection apps flood Google Play Store (ZDNet)
• Video: Do you know if your Android apps are secure? (CBS News)

Who does Android Oreo affect?

The release of Android Oreo will affect any user with a compatible Android device. The devices that will be ready for Android Oreo upon the initial release are the Pixel, Pixel XL, the LG Nexus 5X, and the Nexus 6P.

Android app developers will need to make sure to download Android Studio 3.0, as well as update to the latest Android Support Library 26.0.0 before building new apps for Android Oreo. Developers will also want to seriously consider integrating new features like notification channels, picture-in-picture, and autofill. To get a complete list of those new features, check out the Android Oreo Developer Preview site.

Additional resources

• Final Android O developer preview arrives, here’s how to prepare your apps (TechRepublic)
• Job description: Android developer (Tech Pro Research)
• Android App Development: Easy & Quick Programming (TechRepublic Academy)
• Mobile app development policy (Tech Pro Research)
• Mobile device computing policy (Tech Pro Research)
• Download: The truth about MooCs and bootcamps: Their biggest benefit isn’t creating more coders (TechRepublic)

How do I get Android Oreo?

The only way to get Android Oreo at the moment is to join the Android Beta Program. The caveat is you must have a supported device: Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus Player, Pixel C, Pixel, or Pixel XL.

Beyond the Beta Program, you will have to wait until your carrier releases the OTA update for your supported device. The Android Oreo release dates above could change as carriers roll in their own software and test it on their network and devices.

Additional resources

• Upgrading to Android 8.0 Oreo? Watch out for these Bluetooth issues (TechRepublic)
• IT hardware procurement policy (Tech Pro Research)
• Google Pixel phone: The smart person’s guide (TechRepublic)
• The essential guide to Android happiness begins with Kotlin (TechRepublic)
• What Fuchsia could mean for Android (TechRepublic)
• Google will soon require Android for Work profiles for enterprise users (TechRepublic)
• Google launches open source system to make training deep learning models faster and easier (TechRepublic)
• Understanding the differences between AI, machine learning, and deep learning (TechRepublic)
• Video: The 2 ways that companies should approach machine learning (TechRepublic)