Android 8.1 Oreo developer preview out; Check out what's new

Google has just released the developer preview of Android Oreo 8.1 and it is already available for Nexus and Pixel phone users. However, you should keep in mind that this is just a preview, while the official release is expected sometime in December.

If you are interested, you can sideload the Android 8.1 files right now. While the update doesn't bring any major changes as such, it makes fixes and improvements on the system level. Also, there are some new features which are not so significant yet interesting. For instance, A new search bar has been added to the Settings Menu, allowing users to have better access to settings.

Also, Android 8.1 uses the same automatic Black and White themes seen on the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. This means when you have a Black wallpaper, the app drawer will automatically turn dark. Likewise, when the phone has a lighter shaded wallpaper, the app drawer will also appear light.

Other than that, with Android 8.1, users can see the battery levels for Bluetooth-connected devices just beside the Bluetooth icon.

Some changes have been made to the navigation bar as well. Unlike before, the navigation bar dims when a user is scrolling between apps.

Android 8.1 has also added a new Google Sans font. The clean look of this font holds resemblances with Apple's San Francisco.

In addition, the power/reboot menu has been redesigned to give a fresh look. Lastly, the Oreo icon for system notifications has been changed to look more like the Oreo cookie.

Via