After four developer preview versions, Google is finally ready to roll out Android 8.0 O, which many believe will be called Oreo.
The search giant has a livestream event that will kick off 2:40 ET – an event that will be used to make Android 8.0 O official. This has been hinted a few days ago, where the report further added that the OS could even start rolling out today.
If this does happen, the devices that are likely to benefit from this early rollout will be Google’s. These include the 2016 Pixel and Pixel XL as well as the Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X from the year before. Like what happened with Android 7.0 Nougat, it’s possible that those devices taking part in the beta program will be the first to receive the OTA update ahead of the rest.
Of course, it won’t be possible to roll out Android 8.0 O to all devices at once. Instead, the whole process will be staged, where some users might have to wait for even weeks before getting the OTA notification.
Other Google devices that will also benefit from the new Android 8.0 O update are the Pixel C tablet and Nexus Player.
At the same time of rolling out the OS to its devices, Google will also give the firmware to partner Android OEMs. Since these companies must first tinker with the stock version to accommodate their personalized skins, it will take some time before O is ready to be installed on non-Google phones. LG and HTC were among the first to release the Nougat update back in 2016, which also makes them strong favorites with respect to this new version.
Nokia is also another OEM that all eyes will be looking at, especially after coming in with so much promise with respect to monthly security updates.
So, if you own a smartphone that is not from Google, don’t expect to see Android 8.0 O (Oreo) anytime soon. In fact, you may have to wait until next year before the OS rolls out.