Being the ninth major release, Android Pie is also known as Android 9. And as the 16th version of the Android operating system, it was given the codename of Android P, during the development. On March 7, 2018, the Android Pie was first released as a developer preview. On August 6, 2018, it was publicly released.
Android Pie History:
On March 7, 2018, Android Pie was first announced as Android P, by Google. On May 8, 2018, the first beta version preview was released. On June 6, 2018, the Beta 2 preview was released. On July 2, 2018, the fourth preview was released as Beta 3 version. On July 25, 2018, the final preview of Android Pie was released. On August 6, 2018, the final version of Android Pie was announced with the name “Pie”. A third-party Android device known as the Essential Phone or android smartphone is the one in which the Android Pie was first updated.
Features of Android Pie:
- Adaptive battery life
- Adaptive brightness
- App actions
- Navigation changes
- Volume slider and screen rotation fixed
Adaptive battery life:
Android Pie design uses on-device machine learning to provide a more consistent battery. The apps that we are using in the next few hours are figured out by this version of Android. The deep learning algorithms of DeepMind refine with which Google partnered with, have major effects on Android battery life.
Adaptive brightness:
The auto-brightness settings of the previous versions were not considered good enough by Google. The phone makers are thus facilitated more power efficient to handle the screen brightness based on the environment, in the Android Pie version.
App actions:
More prediction tools were inserted into its app drawer by Google. A top row of predicted apps was used in previous versions, based on the users’ usage history. The App actions predict what the user will do next. This is what made the Android Pie go one step further from the previous versions. The shortcuts of the App actions sit in a row right-bottom the predicted app icons. Thus, in a way, Android Pie reads the users’ minds.
Navigation changes
To make multitasking easier, Android Pie has a new navigation interface with a single clean home button, similar to the iPhone X horizontal bar. To see the recent open apps, we can swipe up from the bottom in the operating system. It also saves our time with five predicted apps at the bottom of the screen. By sliding right and left with the horizontal bar at the bottom, we can scroll through all of our apps very quickly in Android Pie.
Volume slider and screen rotation fixed:
In the Android Pie, the volume slider is moved off to the right side near the volume rocker. To adjust the media volume instead of controlling the ringer volume, the volume key can be pressed in Android Pie. A toggle button is used to turn the ringer on and off when we adjust the volume. The screen orientation can also be controlled manually. A pop-up icon is used for this that appears when we rotate the screen.
Android Pie vs. Android Oreo: Security:
Compared to the Android Oreo version, the latest Android Pie comes with some added security. The background apps are claimed by the company to have no microphone and camera access. Thus, protecting the user’s privacy. The OS informs the users via a notification if the background app uses a microphone or camera.
Selectable Dark Mode:
The dark mode is added to the Android Oreo version. Depending on the wallpaper, the system automatically decides whether to enable the Dark mode or not. In Android Pie, we can enable the Dark mode manually at Setting > System > Display > Advance > Device theme.