Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Google Begins Rolling Out Android Pie To Select Handsets (venturebeat.com)

Posted by msmash on from the it's-here dept.

Google on Monday announced that the 'P' in Android P stands for Android Pie, succeeding Android Oreo. It also pushed the source code of the latest version to the Android Android Open Source Project (AOSP). The latest version of Google's mobile operating system, Android 9.0 Pie, is also starting to roll out today as an over-the-air update to Pixel phones, the company said. From a report: If you don't have a Pixel phone, you won't be getting Android Pie for a while (if at all). During the beta testing phase, Android P was made available on the Sony Xperia XZ2, Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S, Nokia 7 Plus, Oppo R15 Pro, Vivo X21, OnePlus 6, and Essential PH-1. [...] Google wants you to know that Android Pie includes a "heaping helping of artificial intelligence baked in to make your phone smarter, simpler, and more tailored to you."

Android Pie offers of a slew of new features including built-in support for display cutouts (read: notches), a tweaked Quick Settings panel, a notification drawer with rounded corners, messages in notifications when replying inline, smart replies in notifications, a consistent UI for fingerprint authentication, privacy enhancements to limit what apps can do in the background, Adaptive Battery and Adaptive Brightness features (courtesy of Google DeepMind), App Actions for predicting what the user will do next, App Slices for surfacing an app's user interface inside the Google app's search results and inside Google Assistant, a BiometricPrompt API for a system-managed dialog to prompt the user for any supported type of biometric authentication, and multi-camera APIs that let you access streams simultaneously from two or more physical cameras.

39 of 65 comments (clear)

  1. Wrong version number for pie. by xack · · Score: 3, Funny

    It should be version 3.14 not 9.0.

    1. Re:Wrong version number for pie. by jfdavis668 · · Score: 3, Funny

      3.11 should have been Android for Workgroups

  2. Pie Pi by Toxiz · · Score: 2

    Who came up with a naming convention that steps on an entire line of android OS's set up for the raspberry pi? What a mess for no reason.

    1. Re:Pie Pi by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I still don't understand why Android, Ubuntu, MacOS, etc. all insist on using stupid "cute" names that mean absolutely nothing useful. Why not actually use the intuitive numbers that actually tell you the major/minor version or release date? Android 8.1 and Android 9.0 are fine. "Jelly Bean" and "Pie" are completely stupid. Ubuntu 16.04 and 18.04 are great, but then they turn around and use "xenial xerus" and "bionic beaver" in package names, documentation, installation procedures, supported operating systems lists, etc. and it is a nightmare to remember which name refers to which release. And macs - tiger, capitan, mountain lion, lion, snow leopard, leopard, yosemite. Seriously?

      SO sick of having to go back and look up which versions all the stupid names refer to every time I come across them in documentation, security notices, installation procedures, etc. Just use the numbers already and stop trying to be cutesy.

    2. Re:Pie Pi by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Same with intel. Canon Lake, Cascade Lake, Whiskey Lake, Ice Lake, Kaby Lake, Coffee Lake, Skylake, Broadwell, Haswell, Sandy Bridge, Ivy Bridge. Your Mom's Bridge. The names all stopped meaning anything to me a long time ago and I have to refer to wikipedia to figure out which chips we are actually talking about every time I hear an architecture name.

    3. Re: Pie Pi by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      It's the nerds way of making utterly boring stuff seem a little bit exciting and enticing.

    4. Re:Pie Pi by tepples · · Score: 2

      I still don't understand why Android, Ubuntu, MacOS, etc. all insist on using stupid "cute" names that mean absolutely nothing useful.

      As opposed to Windows, which uses "Redstone" names derived from some video game followed by "Anniversary Update", "Creators Update", and Northern Hemisphere-specific "Fall Creators Update"?

      In my own Slashdot comments, I have used a convention to the following effect: I use both the version number and the nickname the first time I mention a version, followed by one or the other.

      Windows Vista Service Pack 1 "Mojave"
      macOS 10.13 "High Sierra"
      Android 9 "Pie"
      Debian 9 "Stretch"
      Ubuntu 18.04 "Bionic Beaver"

  3. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 1

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  4. What comes after Z? by Zorpheus · · Score: 1

    This version naming scheme seems quite finite.
    But I bet people at Google discussed that already.

    1. Re:What comes after Z? by Fly+Swatter · · Score: 1

      I can't wait for Android Left Bracket!

    2. Re:What comes after Z? by Wdomburg · · Score: 2

      Android ðY'© is going to be off the charts.

    3. Re:What comes after Z? by grumpy-cowboy · · Score: 1

      Android[0], Android[1], Android[2], Android[n...]

      --
      Will $CURRENT_YEAR be the year of the Linux Desktop?
    4. Re:What comes after Z? by farble1670 · · Score: 1

      That's sort of a "cross that bridge when you come to it" problem. If Android is still a thing in 10 years I'm sure they can figure it out.

    5. Re:What comes after Z? by The-Ixian · · Score: 1

      I am guessing that they just switch to the Chrome name by that point....

      --
      My eyes reflect the stars and a smile lights up my face.
    6. Re:What comes after Z? by erlando · · Score: 1

      I'm just looking forward to "Android Quiche"

      --
      Remember, there are no stupid questions. But there are a lot of inquisitive idiots.
    7. Re:What comes after Z? by tlhIngan · · Score: 1

      That's sort of a "cross that bridge when you come to it" problem. If Android is still a thing in 10 years I'm sure they can figure it out.

      Which is actually quite a reasonable thing to do, when you think about it. There aren't many platforms that have lived as long as iOS and Android. Even when iOS came it, it wiped out several platforms like Symbian, PalmOS, and WIndows Mobile. So there's room for a disruption that basically will kill iOS and Android as we know it today, so planning for what happens is premature.

      Heck, I've seen the previews of WIndows Mobile after iOS was established. It died a nasty death when everyone's interest shifted to Android. And no, it didn't make it to release.

  5. Re:Go ahead and stir confusion into the pie pot. by rickb928 · · Score: 1

    This would be funny if it weren't so obviously trolling.

    Oh, wait, damit...

    --
    deleting the extra space after periods so i can stay relevant, yeah.
  6. Finally, courage to use the number 9 by BLToday · · Score: 2

    I’m glad they didn’t skip the number 9 like Windows and Blackberry OS. Let’s see if Google is brave enough to go to 11. MacOS has been on 10 for almost 2 decades. Windows 10 is the “last Windows”. Blackberry OS will never have a version 11.

    1. Re:Finally, courage to use the number 9 by sconeu · · Score: 1

      Nigel Tufnel, is that you?

      --
      General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
    2. Re:Finally, courage to use the number 9 by iggymanz · · Score: 1

      don't worry, someday some marketing wank wanting to make a name for himself will pick a number

  7. Negative much? by butchersong · · Score: 1

    Damn the comments here are all crazy contrary and dismissive. I know Android may not be all we would want but it's a new release. It will have some nice new features and UI enhancements....

  8. First test of Project Treble by swillden · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The summary says:

    If you don't have a Pixel phone, you won't be getting Android Pie for a while (if at all).

    ... but there's reason to think that should be significantly less true than with previous releases. Android Oreo included Project Treble, which defined a hard boundary between the system and device-specific components that didn't previously exist. This only applied to new devices launched with Oreo, but on those ones it should be possible for device makers to simply drop a Pie system image on them and expect it to work. This should make O -> P upgrades smoother and faster than any previous pair of releases.

    Of course, the devil is in the details. There is a tremendous amount variety in the Android world, and OEMs have traditionally had almost unlimited ability to modify the system as long as the app-level APIs continued to function correctly (as validated by the Compliance Test Suite). So Treble represents a sea change and there will undoubtedly be lessons to be learned and problems to fix. Also, OEMs who like to customize the system heavily will want to port all of their customizations to Pie, and that will take time, in proportion to the amount of customization they do. Devices that ship stock Android, or close to it, however, should be easy to upgrade.

    Should. Over the next few months we'll start to find out how successful Treble was in achieving its goals, and how much more work remains to be done. The relatively large number of devices that ran the preview releases is a very positive sign, but time will tell.

    --
    Note to ACs: I usually delete AC replies without reading them. If you want to talk to me, log in.
    1. Re:First test of Project Treble by jareth-0205 · · Score: 1

      It's already proving to be working - the beta releases were on a whole bunch of phones from other manufacturers. It's already had an effect, we'll see how quickly that turns into live production pushes but we're well ahead of where we were in previous releases.

    2. Re:First test of Project Treble by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      So that will get you to all of 12% of Android phones. https://developer.android.com/about/dashboards/
      You need to go back to 3 year old OS to capture 2/3rds of the potential market, 4 years to capture 4/5th of the potential market. What a mess.

    3. Re:First test of Project Treble by swillden · · Score: 1

      So that will get you to all of 12% of Android phones. https://developer.android.com/... You need to go back to 3 year old OS to capture 2/3rds of the potential market, 4 years to capture 4/5th of the potential market. What a mess.

      The problem can't be fixed retroactively. It required a deep refactoring of the lower layers of the system and imposition of compliance testing at those layers. There is no way to get OEMs to go do all of that work for old devices. But if it works well, then 3-4 years from now, when the old Android upgrade process (which is largely driven by device obsolescence) would have led to the S release being only on a tiny number of devices, it will be on approximately 2/3 of them. A couple of years after that and we should (hopefully) be to where new releases go to almost the entire user base.

      --
      Note to ACs: I usually delete AC replies without reading them. If you want to talk to me, log in.
    4. Re:First test of Project Treble by iampiti · · Score: 1

      Seems like Google did a great work with project Treble but the cynic in me thinks many manufacturers won't take advantage of it as a way to make obsolete their "old" phones.
      Hardware progress isn't as dramatic as it was just a few years ago and if a device gets fast updates and for a long time it's one less reason to buy a new phone. I would reward manufacturers that gave such great support for their phones but I'm not sure many are willing to do that. I hope time will prove me wrong

  9. Re:Community Goodwill -1 by Type44Q · · Score: 1

    Plus the word "pie" can have negative connotations

    Only if you're afraid of vaginas.

    Are you afraid of vaginas?

  10. Artificial Intelligence? by Tokolosh · · Score: 1

    Whenever I see "AI", I think of Clippy and spellcheckers that mangle what I type.

    --
    Prove anything by multiplying Huge Number times Tiny Number
    1. Re:Artificial Intelligence? by Max_W · · Score: 1

      I also think of spam suggestions with the following question "Was it useful?". But when I really am to do something I have to spend have an hour to find a significant option buried in the layers of "AI" stuff.

  11. Awful interface: why? by DogDude · · Score: 1

    I just picked up an Android phone this weekend to see if it was usable for me, and I'm shocked that the current version of Android still has a truly terrible interface. It's so bad, that I'm going to continue using my Windows Phone until it physically breaks. Is there a reason that Android (and iOS) have to have interfaces that are from 1995? Am I missing something? All of the Android phones that I've seen all have the identical interface.

    --
    I don't respond to AC's.
    1. Re:Awful interface: why? by jetkust · · Score: 1

      Is there a reason that Android (and iOS) have to have interfaces that are from 1995? Am I missing something?

      The phone has a small screen. The options of how the interface can be is pretty limited. What is so great about Windows phone that is missing from Android/iOS?

      All of the Android phones that I've seen all have the identical interface.

      Isn't that the way it's supposed to be?

    2. Re:Awful interface: why? by DogDude · · Score: 1

      What is so great about Windows phone that is missing from Android/iOS?

      It looks very good. It's easy to find things. The home screen shows all kinds of information at a glance. Most part of the phone look and act the same (email, phone, messaging, calendaring, etc.) It's just a very good UI, all over.

      --
      I don't respond to AC's.
    3. Re:Awful interface: why? by iampiti · · Score: 1

      So the UI is very consistent. That's a good thing.
      I've toyed with some Windows Phone devices and I found the UI nice but didn't think it was better than those of Android or iOS. Maybe I used it too little time.
      What I don't get is the "home screen shows all kinds of information at a glance". Android can also do that via widgets. Most apps have them

    4. Re:Awful interface: why? by DogDude · · Score: 1

      The customizeable tiles that people hate so much on Windows 10, work really good on the phone. They all match, and you can make them different sizes, group them together, and almost all of the built-in apps all display info right on the tiles. I can see the sender and subject of emails as they come in, info about my next calendar appointments, phone and text messages, etc. all right on the main page, without touching anything. It's pretty darned good. In Android, you can kinda' sorta' do that, but not really.

      --
      I don't respond to AC's.
  12. This is under that new Project Treble banner yeah? by AbRASiON · · Score: 1

    If you got an Android 8.1 phone, I think (?) that you're extremely likely to get updates as it's apparently much easier for the manufacturers to port all the code in, or something like that.

    It's one of the few, significantly positive concepts from Google in a while.

    I still think they should have a feature and bug total freeze for a solid, 3 to 6 months and do anything and everything humanly possible to make it run, as fast and lean as possible. iOS has several simple 'tricks' which make it feel faster, even when it isn't.

    Phones aren't awful slouches but I'd like to see them quicker.
    But what's the incentive, handset manufacturers want their phones to feel sluggish at the 12-36 month mark

  13. A new Android version saga begins... by guacamole · · Score: 1

    In other news, Oreo's share among Android installations is just under 13%.

  14. Final version took a *while* to hit Essential PH-1 by NextApp · · Score: 1

    Several hours. Absolutely unacceptable. This version fragmentation has to stop!

  15. So in other words... by KozmoStevnNaut · · Score: 1

    A bunch of useless crap that doesn't do a damn fucking thing to make the user experience any better, just a bunch more baked-in spyware.

    --
    Eat the rich.
  16. Re:This is under that new Project Treble banner ye by iampiti · · Score: 1

    Google have included many optimizations in the last few versions. Since the M version (I think) they've been working on battery usage. Most versions also include compiler and runtime optimizations in the changes list.
    Maybe Android it's not as efficient as iOS but Google have put a big deal of work into optimizing it.