Android O is out for developer preview. Here’s what’s new PART I

Android O is already upon us. Google is so blazing fast in churning out software updates. Although the full version will release in fall this year, the developer preview is out and let us see what Google has in store for us.

Here’s what’s new in Android O:

Background limits: Starting with Android O, the next big update, Android can restrict certain activities an application wants to do while it’s playing in the background. Android O builds on this beginning and places top priority on saving power and improving battery life without the user (that’s us!) having to do anything or install anything,
New limits on implicit broadcasts (sending “signals” for other apps or activities to act upon), background services (activities of an app that continue to run when it’s not on the screen) and location updates (checking to see where you are using Android’s location services) are automatic. This means it’s easier to build apps that don’t have an impact on battery life and the user doesn’t have to manage anything.

Notification Grouping: With Android O Google is introducing new Notification channels: grouping notifications together by their type. Notifications are still managed by the app that delivers them, but users can control how things are displayed on a per-channel basis. This way we can decide things like how a news app notifies us or a music player shows a persistent notification. Notification channels are a new way for us to control the rich notifications that Android apps bring to us.