So, the secrecy around the Android O code name is finally expelled. And as the luminous Sun emerged from its Eclipse, so did the unnamed Android 8.0 version emerge with the name “Android 8.0 Oreo“. But, as always, there is always still something left in the shadows. Google announced at the yesterday’s event that its own brand of Pixel and Nexus devices will taste Android O immediately. The factory images are already live if someone doesn’t want to wait for an OTA.
But what about the other flagships? And with this question, the age-old enigma of Android fragmentation again raises its head. As it stands, Android Nougat is still on a meager 13% of all Android devices. That sucks! Especially when you factor in the one year it’s been around. But if there is some glimmer of hope, it is this Google statement:
We’ve also been working closely with our partners, and by the end of this year, hardware makers including Essential, General Mobile, HMD Global Home of Nokia Phones, Huawei, HTC, Kyocera, LG, Motorola, Samsung, Sharp and Sony are scheduled to launch or upgrade devices to Android 8.0 Oreo.
There is a big catch in the statement if you noticed it. Google does say that certain brands will bring Android Oreo by December 2017, but it also says that it might happen with launched “or” upgraded devices. We would have been a lot happier if Google used “and” instead of “or”. Let’s just hope Google and “partners” keep their promise this time around.
