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Mingis on Tech: 3 big takeaways from Android Pie

Google's newest version of Android is rolling out to Pixel devices already and will eventually get to other Android phones. Here's what users can look forward to, and why it matters.
  • Ken Mingis (Computerworld (US))
  • 14 August, 2018 20:01

So now we know: P is for Pie – as in Android Pie, the latest iteration of Google's mobile OS. It officially arrived Aug. 6, is already rolling out to Pixel devices and –  depending on how quickly other Android device makers get moving – it should show up for non-Pixel users over the next few months.

That makes this a good time to hear from Computerworld's JR Raphael about just what users can look forward to when they finally get their hands on their upcoming slice of Pie. (Sorry, just had to get that in there.)

Raphael spoke to Computerworld Executive Editor Ken Mingis about a slew of UI/navigation changes that will almost certainly require users to unlearn (and relearn) how to move around the OS; the growing use of AI and Machine Learning to make devices more predictive; and Google's coordinated efforts to speed up the pace of Android upgrades with "Project Treble."

Though the UI changes – which will be turned off by default for many users – represent  the most obvious tweaks to Pie (also known as Android 9), the Project Treble effort could have longer-lasting effects, Raphael said. By one estimation, it could shave as much as three months off the time it takes to get an Android update rolled out to non-Google devices.

That's a big deal in Android-land, where OS fragmentation has been an ongoing problem.

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