Three years ago Google introduced us to its new design language called Material Design. It was flat, graphical and colorful. It was the visual change that ushered in the beginning of a new age for Android, one that focused less on the rapid expansion of Android’s feature set, and more on refining what already existed and paving the way for the future.
In many cases, Android’s maturation period included absorbing popular features that debuted elsewhere, whether in manufacturer skins, alternate launchers or via the custom ROM scene. More and more attention was placed on battery life, security, performance stability and fine-grained user-facing control. Not as sexy as a complete visual overhaul, perhaps, but vastly more significant.
Android 8.0 represents the current pinnacle of that effort, the very tip of the spear, fresh from Google’s workshop. Android 8.0 Oreo is as comprehensive a version of Android as there has ever been, and it is as stable, feature-rich and functional as ever. While on the surface it may lack grand visual changes, what lies beneath is stacked with usability improvements and polish.
This is the Android Authority Android 8.0 review.
Note: The software version I will be referencing in this Android Oreo review is the first iteration of Android Oreo found on the Google Pixel, which I’ve been using for the better part of a week now. Note that supported Nexus devices will have a slightly different experience, as will devices by other manufacturers when they get the Oreo update. So while your Oreo experience may look a little different, the underlying features described here will be fundamentally the same.
- Looking good
Between Android Nougat and Android Oreo there are no major visual changes, but those that exist have primarily been made to improve usability, increase consistency or add a layer of future-proofing to everybody’s favorite mobile OS.
- Taking control
Android 8.0 is also more about assuming control than any previous version of Android. Whether it’s Google putting the brakes on rampant resource-hungry app processes or users having more power to limit what apps can access and how notifications are handled, Oreo has it in droves.
New in Oreo is the ability to snooze notifications. Partially swipe a notification away and you’ll now see two icons: one leading to the notification channel settings for that app and another that sets a timer before the notification reappears. By default it’s one hour, but you can also choose from 15 minutes, 30 minutes or two hours.
- Quicker access
From Google Now to Google Assistant, Google wants to deliver the most pertinent information when it is needed, if not just before. Each successive Android iteration has become more intuitive, with increasingly greater attention paid to helping you get things done faster. Nowhere is that more evident than in Android Oreo.
We’ll start with notification dots. Notification dots are Google’s answer to unread badges. A small dot, with a color matched to the app icon on which it appears, will alert you to any notifications you may have missed. Dots are visible in both the app drawer and on the home screen, and a long press of the app icon will reveal a condensed version of the available notifications. These can swiped away as per normal or opened up for action.
When you long-press an app icon anywhere in Android 8.0, you’ll also get app-specific launcher shortcuts for each app. These are available whether or not a notification dot is present and can jump you straight into a variety of common actions.
- Being smarter
Android 8.0 is also the smartest of all Android versions, benefiting from the impressive Google Assistant and all the machine learning Google’s software has done over the last years. But there’s still room for some good old-fashioned man-made improvements too. Here are a few of the smarter decisions Google has made with Android Oreo.
High performance Bluetooth audio was one of the first Oreo features to capture the attention of the Android masses. Sony donated its LDAC codec to Google for inclusion in Oreo, opening up the mobile OS to superior audio connections on supported hardware.
Android Oreo features: final thoughts
I can confidently say that I’ve never been as impressed with a new Android version as I am with Android Oreo. Even the bugs that typically plague a new update in the days immediately following its release haven’t settled on my trusty Pixel. Unlike some, I even managed to get through the developer previews with barely a hiccup, certainly an encouraging experience for the now-public version I’ve been enjoying these past few days.
A lot of features first introduced in Android Nougat and before have found their true home in Oreo, which finally seems to get everything right. It will surely have its detractors, but even they will have to admit this is easily the most polished and reliable version of Android Google has ever released.
As we mentioned at the beginning, and like its namesake, Oreo very much strives to be the OS for everybody. I can easily see how an iPhone user could pick it up and run with it, just as easily as I can see Android fans adoring all the new advanced features and customization options.