The Android O beta is now rolling out, will focus on OS ‘vitals’

Android O has been available in its developer preview form for a few months now but with the final release just a few months away, it is time for the beta to begin rolling out. During its I/O conference this week, Google announced that Android O is now in beta, which focusses less on new features and more on improving the core “vitals” of the operating system.

The big focuses of Android O are battery life, stability, security and swifter updates, which will be introduced through Project Treble. Other minor new features include Autofill for text, notification dots for apps (similar to iOS) and new Picture-in-Picture functionality.

One of the big additions Google is making is a feature called ‘Vitals' for Google Play, which helps developers spot issues within apps that can negatively impact things like battery life or device security. Something called Google Play Protect is also launching, which will scan apps going forward and automatically remove anything with dodgy code.

The Android O beta is available from today, though you'll need a supported device to be able to run it for the time being. The full operating system will begin rolling out properly later this Summer for Google's own devices. Third-party Android phone makers may take longer to begin pushing out the update.

KitGuru Says: Google is making some interesting changes with Android O. I've been an iOS user for a couple of years now, so for me to come back, I would like to see third-parties like Samsung begin to push updates out faster.

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