What can you expect from Android Oreo?

Let’s face it, an OS upgrade is never as spine-tingling as a big new smartphone release. But when Google announced its latest Android operating system was named after one of our favourite biscuits, we knew it was going to be pretty delicious. And now Android Oreo has landed, we can confirm it does much, MUCH more than provide a few quick fixes. In fact, there’s plenty to get excited about.

For starters, it delivers a hefty kick up the backside to your battery life. And there’s some brilliant news for audiophiles too, that’ll make your favourite tunes sound better than ever. But that’s just the start. So here are some of the awesome new features you can expect from Android Oreo.

Multitask with Picture in Picture mode
You might recognise Picture in Picture (PiP) from Facebook. It’s that clever thing that lets you shrink a video to the size of a stamp, while you carry on scrolling through your feed. And with Android Oreo, you can now do the same across your entire phone. Fire up another app without missing a second of your favourite Netflix show. Check your calendar while chatting to a mate on a video call. Or take down that recipe in Notes while watching a cookery demo. The options are endless.

Stay charged for longer
The slicker our smartphones become, the greater the demand on their batteries. Until now, that is. Android Oreo makes massive improvements to your battery life by policing all that power-sapping stuff your apps do in the background. Which means more time to do the things you enjoy and less time worrying about your ever-decreasing battery. You’ll notice drastic improvements in booting up time, too – in fact, you’ll be up and running twice as fast.

Boosted audio
Fancy a crisper, clearer listening experience with more oomph? Who wouldn’t!? So that’s precisely what Android Oreo provides. Tweaks to the Bluetooth codecs will breathe new life into your listening experience by offering smoother audio transitions, fine-grained control and better playback options . And with select wireless headphones, your smartphone will now transfer three times the amount of data over the usual Bluetooth connection, making your favourite songs sound better than ever before.

Smart text selection
If you’re anything like us, trying to copy text from messages isn’t the most nimble of experiences. And we’re often left wondering if our fingers are grotesquely oversized. Not any more, though. Android Oreo is clever enough to know whether the string of words you’re trying to copy is a complete address or a name – and then accurately auto-select it for you. It’ll even second-guess what you need to do next. Say it spots that you’re copying an address from an email or a website, it’ll fire up Google Maps instantly. So you don’t have to worry about having oversized fingers any longer.

Auto-fill in apps
You know when you’ve been using a website on Chrome, decide to download the app, then draw a total blank when it asks for your username and password? We’ve all been there. Well you’ll be glad to hear that Android Oreo eliminates the need to remember 17 different variations of your login info, by auto-filling your details from the off. So next time you fire up that app or site, Google will have you covered.

If you can’t wait to see what the fuss is about, Android Oreo is available on all Google Pixel handsets right now, with other Android handsets to follow.