Android O Preview Features And Beta Announced At I/O 2017 Keynote

Android O will be available later this summer, but Google showcased at it's I/O 2017 keynote Wednesday, a few features users can expect on the upcoming operating system. Two main themes of Android O will include Fluid Experiences and Vitals. These aspects will describe key components of what Google hopes to achieve with Android O.

Amid Fluid Experiences, includes features such as picture-in-picture, which Google VP Engineering (Android), Dave Burke described as an automatic multi-window. Users can pull up a second app, such as a video in a small window floating over the full-screen app window, for example, and swipe that window away when they are finished.

Android O will also bring autofill with Google, which will allow users to pull usernames and passwords for various applications when they begin typing the first new letters of their login information.

Smart text selections is an updated copy and paste feature, which will contextually allow users to double tap to highlight text such as phone numbers, names, and businesses and Android O will suggest opening corresponding apps, such as phone, contacts or maps.

Amid Vitals, includes features such as Google Play Protect, which enhances app security directly from the Google Play Store. It detects malicious code within apps and executes functions such as fixing the error or deleting the application.

Through OS optimization users can expect handset boot time to be twice as fast. New features such as Wise Limits will help protect battery life by keeping applications open in the background for a limited amount of time.

New developer tools include Play Console Profilers and Android Studio Profiler, which gives developers contextual information about users and app performance to improve back-end details of their applications.

Google also announced for the first time, the addition of a new programming language, Kotlin, which will join Java and C++.

The Android O beta is now available for download publicly.