Top 4 Android 8.0 Oreo Features That Will Impact App Development Process

Last month, Google has finally unveiled its most advanced and next generation operating system that named as Android 8.0 Oreo for mobile and tablet devices. Google has introduced its powerful operating system with a ton of features like autofill, picture-in-picture, integrated Instant Apps, instant boot time, Google Play Protect and more.

Still, there are lots of features that are not even obtainable for testing right now, so thanks to the developer preview. In case, if you are one of those people, who do not get time to try hands on dev preview, you might be wondering what this Oreo update is all about.

Moreover, this all new platform offers a range of benefits to Android users. Android device users, who have Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel C tablet, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P and Nexus Player set-top box can easily install this version from day one. For other devices, they need to wait till the manufacturers make the system obtainable in their own OS version.

In addition to this, Google is also going to provide its Android 8.0 to smartphones by the end of this year as it is working with its partners like HMD, HTC, Kyocera, LG, Motorola, Sony, General Mobile and Huawei. Here, I have listed top 4 Android Oreo features that will impact on the process of the android app development, making it smoother and effective.

Some of the Exclusive Features of Google’s Android 8.0 Oreo

1. Autofill APIs

Google is also trying to save app developers maximum time through Autofill APIs. Using this new feature, you can get your favorite password manager applications to work with Android Operating system, allowing you to access them just like you would a third-party keyboard.

We all know that remembering long passwords is not easily possible, but it is important as well to stay safe online. In the new Android 8.0 Oreo, applications can register as autofill providers with the system to seamlessly log you in. Now, Android developers can save their time and efforts and work efficiently on application development projects.

While launching, Google explains. “Android users already depend on a range of password managers to auto-fill login details and repetitive information, which makes setting up new apps or placing transactions easier. Now we’re making this work more easily available across the ecosystem by adding platform support for auto-fill.”

2. Splash Screen API

With the new Android Oreo, Google wanted to make developing a simple splash screen a way easier task for android app developers. The new splash screen API in Android 8.0 enables developers to easily set a drawable resource as an app loading screen. It will also make it easy to set a splash screen between heavy activities inside your application.

As we all know that before Android Oreo, there were numerous approaches to developing a splash screen, the most common one being developing a drawable, a custom theme and a Splash Activity. For app developers, Google wanted to make the entire process a lot easier so that they can take benefit of this new API.

3. Notification Channels

It is one of the most important features for application marketers, where they need to give attention. In Android Oreo, notifications need a specified channel to be set with the notification.

In the interface, a user can see these channels as categories. These are such channels that are planned to represent different categories of notifications, which an app could send.

Let’s take one example, one travel application has different types of notifications like promotions, reservation updates for a booking. Then, the travel app could then register a promotions channel and an updates channel.

In case, if they no longer want to receive them, a user can opt-out of the promotions channel; however, they can get updates, which are relevant during a trip. There are lots of apps, who are already having this behavior within their application.

In Oreo, notifications comprise some other updates. You can set a timeout on notifications, and users can snooze notifications so that they can take at later. Various styling updates like support for historic messages as a part of the conversation and background colors.

4. Background Limits

Android 8.0 Oreo can change the entire way it treats background processes that could also mean that some apps work completely differently. It also means much better battery life. Before Android Oreo, developers can make apps, which listen to a range of system broadcasts.

When such a broadcast occurs, some of the applications wake-up and impact system performance. This is not going to impact anymore because android programmers must need to use specific receivers and the job scheduler that makes sure apps in the background wake up more effectively to get things done.

Along with this, Android Oreo knows applications, which are running background services and are not connected to what you are doing on the phone. Like, a music application that is playing music in the background is not affected; but maybe Snapchat doesn’t need to be refreshing your feed in the background.

The new platform is extremely powerful and smart enough to idle these applications. They are using very less power and only allowed to wake up frequently to start services. It results of all this is much better battery life.

Conclusion –

Apart from these four features, there are lots of other interesting new features and improvements that added by Google to make the Android 8.0 version powerful. However, these four features will directly impact on the android app development process, making it smoother and easier.

It becomes beneficial for developers to get the advantage of this latest Android Oreo Version. So, if you have got any unique app idea, you can discuss it with any experienced android app developer, who has expertise in new Android Oreo 8.0 platform.