Android 9 has launched – the details

Google has launched the latest version of Android – Android 9.

Android 9 – also called Android Pie – comes with artificial intelligence built in that lets a user’s smartphone learn how it is operated.

“From predicting your next task, to prioritising battery power for the apps you use most, Android 9 adapts to your life and the ways you like to use your phone,” said Google.

Android 9 learns and adapts to usage patterns and comes with features like Adaptive Battery, which learns the apps you use most and prioritises battery for them.

Another new feature is Adaptive Brightness, which learns “how you like to set the brightness in different settings, and does it for you”.

Google further punted App Actions, which predicts what a user wants to do next based on their context. It then display that action on their phone.
Home button

Android 9 introduces a new navigation system and a single home button, too, added Google.

“This is especially helpful as phones grow taller and it’s more difficult to get things done on your phone with one hand.”

This includes swiping up or down to see previews of recently-used apps, and then being able to access them instantly.

The “wellbeing” of users is also taken into consideration in the new operating system, which includes a new Dashboard for usage control.

This shows users how long they have spent on their device, and lets them set an App Timer to limit usage on certain apps.

Wind Down is another new feature, which switches on Night Light and Do Not Disturb, and fades the screen to grayscale before bedtime.
Security

Security was another focus area for Google, which stated that Android 9 “enables industry-leading hardware security capabilities to allow protecting sensitive data like credit card information using a secure, dedicated chip”.

“Android 9 also brings important privacy improvements, such as TLS by default and DNS over TLS to help protect all web communications and keep them private,” said Google.
Availability

Android 9 will start rolling out to Pixel phones first.

“Devices that participated in the Beta programme from Sony Mobile, Xiaomi, HMD Global, Oppo, Vivo, OnePlus, and Essential, as well as all qualifying Android One devices, will receive this update by the end of this fall,” said Google.

“We’re also working with a number of other partners to launch or upgrade devices to Android 9 this year.”