Rumor: New Android version has picture-in-picture

Google is rumored to give its new Android version several improvements, including notifications, business functions, and deeper integration with Assistant. Also, the operating system should support picture-in-picture mode.

The rumors were published by news site 9To5Google, which has a good reputation in this field. However, the site also states that the information obtained could not yet be confirmed with certainty, although the source is known to be reliable. However, the list of things that Google would work on shows that the new version of the mobile operating system, for the time being known as Android O, should receive a large list of innovations.

One of the new features mentioned is picture-in-picture, similar to how it works in Android TV. This should make it possible to overlay images from apps over those of other apps. Google would also work again on an improvement of the notification system. It is probably Andromeda, which Google has reportedly been working on for some time. One of the possibilities that this system would offer is the synchronization of notifications with multiple devices.

Furthermore, a smarter way of selecting and copying text is mentioned, something that also emerged in previous rumors. This would also include integration with the Assistant information service; the software could, among other things, automatically copy relevant passages and show them again when relevant. How that works exactly, however, is not yet clear.

It is rumored that Google plans to curtail the background activity of apps in the upcoming Android version. The battery life will probably have to be extended, similar to what Google did earlier with the release of Chrome 57. 9To5Google also mentions that Android O will get more business functions, but this was not discussed further. However, it would involve many new functions.

Google itself has not officially announced anything about Android O. The new version of the mobile operating system will probably be announced during Google I/O; this event will be held from 17 to 19 May.