Google releases preview of Android 8.1

Google has released a preview version of Android 8.1. Users can get an update over-the-air in the search giant’s beta program. It is also possible to flash the system images via a PC. Little has changed in the new version.

The biggest change for owners of the Pixel 2 is that the Pixel Visual Core soc is on in Android 8.1. That is Google’s own soc for faster processing of camera images. That is only possible in the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, because only those have the new chipset on board.

Android 8.1 also adds an api for neural networks to make that technology more easily available to developers. From now on, apps can only send a notification per second. The preview has been released for the Pixel 2 series, Pixel series, Pixel C tablet, Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P. The final version of Android 8.1 should be released before the end of the year. At the same time, Google released Android Studio 3.0.

The preview comes a few months after the release of Android 8.0. Google had already announced that Android 8.1 was coming when the company released information about the Pixel Visual Core.