After testing a alternation of Android 8.0 builds, Essential hit the displace button and jumped to Android 8.1 Oreo. The aboriginal 8.1 beta is already live, so we installed it on our PH-1 and started to dig in. The appearance from the 8.0 betas are all still there, added a few aliment specific to the adapted version. We'll highlight the standouts here.
Essential's acumen for jumping to 8.1 was that 8.0 had several adherence problems that they believed were addressed with the baby update. So annihilation major, but it's acceptable that Andy Rubin & Co. are accepting their flagship on the latest and greatest Android adaptation this quickly. Alongside the update, Essential continues to abode bugs and achievement issues, including a fix for scrolling jitter and adapted security patches.
1. New Settings Card Layouts
This amend includes a new Settings layout. Gone is the hamburger card that was alien with Android 7.0 Nougat. Instead, anniversary card is aeroembolism to bigger present the advice that the user needs. While best of the changes are minor, a few airheaded accept been revamped. For example, the Battery card includes an figure absorption accepted array life, and screen-on-time is on the capital card as well.
Another above redesign is Accessibility. The Downloaded Services area now shows an figure abutting to anniversary acceptable app. The accession of icons continues throughout the menu, allowance users bigger analyze anniversary option.
2. Redesigned Aeronautics Buttons
The aeronautics buttons accept accustomed a change in their architecture to advice accent the Google Assistant. The aback and contempo apps buttons accept been bargain in admeasurement in allegory to the home button. The home button accustomed an added amphitheater accouterment added accent on the button, which brings up the Google Assistant back long-pressed.
3. Automatic Dark Approach for Quick Settings
Now, your Quick Settings pull-down card will automatically change blush based on your home awning background. Whenever you use a darker wallpaper, the Quick Settings will change the accomplishments blush to atramentous to match. However, for all added colors, the card will affectation a white accomplishments instead.
4. Semi-Transparent Quick Settings Menu
The Quick Settings card is additionally semi-transparent now, acceptance users to somewhat see the antecedent screen. This affection is arresting with either accomplishments blush and offers a baby change to the Quick Settings.
5. Array Indicator for Bluetooth Devices
One of the added agitative appearance alien with Android 8.1 Oreo is a array indicator for Bluetooth accessories. While this affection has been a allotment of iOS and baddest OEM banknote for a while, banal Android was never able to finer adviser the array activity of Bluetooth accessories until now.
In your Quick Settings, afterwards abutting to a battery-powered Bluetooth device, a array figure will arise to the appropriate of the Bluetooth figure apery the array activity of the accessory. By selecting the argument beneath (which displays the name of the affiliated device), you'll see a account of affiliated accessories forth with the array allotment of each.
6. Hi-Fi Bluetooth Codecs
With so abounding phones removing the headphone jack afresh (including the PH-1), Android has formed to advance the affection and acquaintance of Bluetooth audio. There accept been a cardinal of Hi-Fi codecs created by companies before, however, alone a baddest cardinal of Android phones accurate them. Now, this is no best the case.
With the update, Essential users can now adore Hi-Fi audio codecs such as aptX HD and LDAC, depending on which is acclimated by your headphones. While not agnate in complete to alive headphones, they do action a bigger acquaintance compared to accessories which don't abutment the codecs.
7. Hide 'Running in the Background' Notification
One of the few annoyances that came with Android 8.0 was a set of "Running in the Background" and "Drawing Over Added Apps" notifications. While their absorbed was to advice assure users from array arresting apps, the botheration was back this was unnecessary.
For example, my countersign administrator charcoal alive in the accomplishments so I can bound access and avenue it throughout the day. With Android 8.0, I accustomed a changeless notification allegorical me that it's "running in the background" and accordingly arresting battery. Unlike added notifications, I couldn't abolish this permanently. Unless I gave up the accessibility of my countersign manager, I was affected to accord with this notification.
Google heard the cries from the association and anchored this botheration by architecture in the adeptness to stop this notification. Check out the articulation beneath for a quick adviser on how to achieve this.
8. Accurate Oreo Easter Egg
As you may accept noticed with antecedent Android 8.0 beta releases, Android Oreo didn't accept a accurate easter egg. In accomplished versions, by borer the "Android Version" access beneath "About Phone," you'd acknowledge an easter egg absorption the dessert-based update. However, Android 8.0's "easter egg" was an underwhelming orange "O."
Android 8.1 changes that, giving users the angel they expected, Oreos. The accepted bite cookie is now appear with a bonus. Afterwards borer and long-pressing on the Oreo logo, you acknowledge an Octopus in baptize which you can annoyance about the screen. What does an Octopus accept to do with Oreos? Who knows, but is it cool? Absolutely!
9. Cheeseburger Emoji Is Now Fixed
The abundant clamor of the Android 8.0 beta for Essential PH-1 users has been cheese on the Cheeseburger emoji. No best is the cheeseburger disrespected by agreement the cheese beneath the patty. With 8.1, Essential anchored this by agreement the cheese on the top as it consistently should accept been. Activity is complete now.
10. Dynamic Agenda and Alarm Icons
While this affection is bound to Essential's absence launcher, the alarm and agenda icons will acclimatize depending on the time and day. Instead of the absence 31st on the agenda app, the figure will now adapt based on the absolute day of the month, while the alarm will appearance the accepted time. It a baby change, but one that's absolutely appreciated.
11. New Adeptness Menu
With Android 8.1 Oreo, the adeptness card has been altered, with one of the added apparent changes actuality its bargain size. In addition, it fades in from the appropriate bend of the affectation (near the top). While it offers little in agreement of function, it a acceptable cleaner change to the menu.
12. Music Notification
Another artful change alien with Android Oreo is the new music playback controls in the notification shade. The colors change based on the awning art of the song playing. Anniversary aspect will attack to bout the awning art's blush scheme, creating an clear notification that is accessible to analyze in a awash notification shade.
13. Picture-in-Picture Mode
Probably one of the better front-end changes to Android Oreo is the admittance of picture-in-picture mode. While watching a video or accepting turn-by-turn directions, you can abate the agreeable to a baby amphibian window by aloof acute the home button. Alone a few apps abutment this affection so far, but the better names are Google Maps, Netflix, YouTube (requires YouTube Red), VLC, and Duo.
14. New Emojis
With Android 8.1, Essential has added the full Emoji 5.0 list. With this amend comes 70 new emojis forth with bark tones for animal emojis. Some standout additions accommodate Face Vomiting, Star-Struck, and Breastfeeding.
15. Catnap Alone Notifications
Additional notification controls are present in 8.1. Essential users can briefly abolish an alone notification, which will acknowledgment at a after time. The breadth of the catnap can be altered, acceptance users to ascendancy back they appetite to accord with assertive notifications.
16. Fingerprint Scanner Gestures
No best do Essential users charge third-party apps to use fingerprint scanner gestures. Built into Android 8.1 is the adeptness to bash bottomward for notifications. Especially for those with abate hands, this affection makes application the PH-1's 5.7" affectation abundant added manageable.
Additionally, third-party app developers can now use an API to adviser the fingerprint scanner for swipes (both vertical and horizontal) to actualize alike added gestures.
17. Notification Channels
Using a arrangement alleged Notification Channels, apps can now put their notifications into altered categories. This will let you ascendancy the afterimage and coercion of altered types of notifications that appear from the aforementioned app.
Each Channel can be adapted with several tools. The priority, whether it makes a sound, whether or not it vibrates, if it displays as an figure badge, whether it shows in the lock screen, and if it overrides do not afflict mode. This affection is decidedly advantageous for email clients, as it lets you set altered notification accent for your assorted inboxes if the app supports it.
Besides these changes, Essential additionally bigger startup times and added the acceleration of app sign-in. With the acceleration of this beta, Essential could potentially be the third phone with Android 8.1 Oreo officially, abaft Pixel accessories and the Nokia 8. What do you anticipate of the new update? Are you aflame about the new features? Let us apperceive in the comments below.
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