Android Oreo details

Android Oreo is the name of the current version of Google’s mega-popular mobile operating system that's available now for select devices.

In terms of feature highlights, Oreo focuses on speed and efficiency. For many phones updated to Android 8.0, another name for Oreo, boot speeds will be increased as much as two times using Google's phones, as we've personally seen with the Pixel and Pixel 2. Additionally, the operating system update tackles pesky background activity that drains your battery and your data plan.

While it's light on visual changes, Oreo packs in some useful design tweaks, like picture-in-picture (PiP) mode for the likes of YouTube, Hangouts and others, as well as notification dots that give you a colorful nudge to check out your notifications. But wait, there's more.

Android Oreo 8.1 brings a lot of extra features to the forefront, making the upgrade to Google's latest mobile OS version all the more tempting for those who don't have it yet.

AR Stickers, available for Pixel phones, injects even more fun into the stock camera app. Check out our in-depth article to see if and how augmented reality changes the game.

The Pixel's Visual Core has also been awakened, which enables HDR+ to make the already-great photo capabilities of the Pixel 2 even better. Other updates include Google Lens' copy and paste ability, which can strip text out of pictures to make for easy pasting of text into other applications.

(Update: Android Oreo 8.1 has landed on Pixel and recent Nexus devices. If you haven't received the update yet, it should arrive in the coming weeks, as carriers have the final level to pull to send it to phones.)


Not seeing your phone, or the one of your wishlist? Don't fret just yet, as Google itself has confirmed that the Oreo update will hit devices from many popular manufacturers by the end of the year, including Essential, General Mobile, HMD Global Home of Nokia Phones, Huawei, HTC, Kyocera, LG, Motorola, Samsung, Sharp and Sony.

When can I download Android Oreo?

If you own a Google Pixel 2, Google Pixel 2 XL, Google Pixel, Google Pixel XL, Pixel C, Nexus 6P or Nexus 5X you should already have Oreo, and in fact, you'll be able to update to Android 8.1 at some point in December.

That's not a big update, but it's set to improve performance on devices with 1GB of RAM or less as well as adding a new Neural Networks API to accelerate on-device machine intelligence. If you're using a Pixel 2 it should also improve the speed and efficiency of HDR photography by waking its Visual Core.

Recently, the Nokia 8 has received its final build of Android Oreo, and other big-name devices like the Essential Phone and the Samsung Galaxy S8 continue along in their respective Oreo beta periods.

If you don't have one of the above devices the wait for Android Oreo is set to continue. For some phone manufacturers, that could mean a matter of months, while others are much closer.

Companies are typically quiet on this topic until there's good news to deliver, but rest assured that we'll be updating this page with the latest.

Here are the phones confirmed to get the update.

Nokia

We've received official confirmation that Nokia 6, Nokia 5 and Nokia 3 will receive Oreo and soon after we also heard word the Nokia 8 will get the update too.

The release date for the Nokia 8 to get Android Oreo has landed, bringing the latest features to Nokia's most premium phone of 2017. Now, the others should follow soon enough.

HTC

HTC's 2017 flagship, the HTC U11, now has Android Oreo, if your phone is unlocked. The company has confirmed the HTC 10 and HTC U Ultra will all feature the software at some stage, but exact timings for the update are currently unclear. The recently announced HTC U11 Plus and HTC U11 Life will both feature the new software at launch.

OnePlus

The OnePlus 5T and OnePlus 5 are an obvious candidates, but OnePlus has also confirmed that the OnePlus 3T and OnePlus 3 will receive the update. Oreo is now available in open beta for each of the company's phones.

Sony

The new Sony Xperia XZ1 and Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact both run Android Oreo out of the box.

Concerning the company's back catalog, it's already hard at work bringing things up to speed. You'll see Oreo land on the following devices: Sony Xperia X, Sony Xperia X Performance, Sony Xperia XZ, Sony Xperia X Compact, Sony Xperia XZ Premium (available now), Sony Xperia XZs, Sony Xperia XA1, Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra and Sony Xperia XA1 Plus.

Motorola

Have a Moto phone? The company recently stated that it will start rolling out the update this autumn to the following phones: Moto Z, Moto Z Force, Moto Z2 Force, Moto Z Play, Moto Z2 Play, Moto G5, Moto G5S, Moto G5 Plus, Moto G5S Plus, Moto X4 and Moto G4 Plus.

Previously, the company had promised to update the Moto G4 Plus to Android Oreo software, but made no mention of that handset - or the Moto G4 - in its announcement. While Moto has done right by changing its tune and adding support for the plus-sized budget G4, it appears that the regular G4, as well as the Moto G4 Play, will sit this one out.

It looks like Oreo has begun its rollout to Moto's latest flagship, the Moto Z2 Force. Verizon customers have noticed the new software, but as 9to5Google notes, it's not on all phones just yet.

Samsung

A blog run by Samsung Turkey suggests any products from the company that will be updated will have to wait until early 2018 to see the upgrade land. However, the beta has been released to select users in South Korea, UK and US. You'll need to meet Samsung's criteria though...

Once it fully rolls out, expect to see the update on the Samsung Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8 Plus and Galaxy Note 8 and maybe even the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge, too.

LG

LG has a handful of phones that we'd like to see Oreo arrive on sooner than later – most notably, the LG V30. Hanging tight with the rest of 2017's best flagships in terms of design, the phone's lack of Oreo at launch is a thorn in its side. However, the software's beta launch to phones in South Korea means that it's likely to make a global splash sooner than later.

Of course, we have the LG G6 and maybe even the more affordable LG Q6 that we'd like to see upgraded as well. Both are more than capable of running Oreo and, given that Moto is updating some of its phones that are running on two years old, LG would be wise to issue updates to its latest phones.