The Android O rumor game has officially started, and here's what we think

Everyone has a list of things they hope to see in Android O. Some make a lot of sense and there's a good chance we'll see them, others are just pipe dreams. But now that the time for a new version of Android to be announced is getting closer, the guessing games can begin!

9to5 Google has a list of features they say might show up in Android O. They tell us we'll see a new notification system, badges for application icons, picture-in-picture mode for multi-window, better text selection, and an assortment of other things that sources say are coming. You should go give it a read.

The people who have the answers are the people keeping quiet.

Some of what they are saying matches what we've heard, some is close and gives more insight to our rumors, and some of the supposed features are dead wrong according to what we've heard. That's how the rumor game is played — you get a little bit of good info and a little bit of bad info and mix it up with a whole lot of vague info.

For what it's worth, our sources tell us that Android O will be about putting Google Assistant to work. Assistant will live as a system aware entity, much like Google Now did in previous builds, and be there to integrate with the things you're doing and with ways to integrate into other applications that aren't Google Allo. There may be app badges in a new launcher or even smart text selection and gesturing. But let's be clear: the only people who actually know anything aren't talking.

It's fun to guess and play the game anyway, so we all will play it. Let's hope that Google tells us what we want to hear at Google I/O 2017 in May. For now, let's play — what do you think will be in Android O? Your guess is as good as anyone else's!

Jerry Hildenbrand
Senior Editor — Google Ecosystem

Jerry is an amateur woodworker and struggling shade tree mechanic. There's nothing he can't take apart, but many things he can't reassemble. You'll find him writing and speaking his loud opinion on Android Central and occasionally on Twitter.

78 Comments
  • Didn't we JUST get a new notification system?!
  • Indeed. Though Google's Modus operandi often appears to be "if it ain't broke, fix it until it is. Then fix it some more. Then set it on fire, fix it again, rename it and repeat".
  • More like "if it exists, there should be another. And another. No, don't stop there, keep piling!"
  • There is no new notification system. :)
  • Oh and I'm positive this will finally be the version that fixes all battery issues right? Right? That seems to be the big thing the last few years and never happens. :)
  • Also we'll finally get a dark theme! At least in the beta.
  • We always get a dark theme in the beta. I'll get excited when it pushes to stable. Then again, Oreo is two dark cookies with white filling....
  • That was actually my sarcastic point, there's no point getting excited about anything in android til final code hits AOSP. Aside from the truism that sometimes planned and beta features don't always make it to release, at this point I honestly believe that Google are trolling.
  • Exactly
  • The fix for Androids battery issues is OEMs losing this fascination with making phones thin and actually including a good sized battery
  • Jell-O
  • The badge icons are useless since they're in the notification icon
  • Negative. Notifications tell you what notifications you have, not numbers of said notifications. Hence badge count notifications, will be important to notify you.
  • Oh, sweet magic, please don't get ugly badge counts in the notification shade. App name (##) is enough.
  • They are useless unless Google wants to kill the app drawer and make it like iOS
  • What would notification badges have to do with that? That'd be more about killing the notification center than anything else.
  • Badge notifications are Bush league child's play. We don't need that nonsense
  • OREO
  • No. Ozark - Pudding!! :)
  • Although I like Oreo, I think they're moving away from corporate branding after Kit Kat. So maybe they'll go with Oatmeal. It's hard to find a generic name with 'O' haha as attested by this article:
    http://www.androidcentral.com/android-o-name
  • Oatmeal cookie maybe?
  • Orange Cream
  • Oreo!
    I really want it to be a co op, like they did with Kitkat :)
  • Just curious, why?
  • the co op with Kitkat was both fun and a brilliant marketing stunt
  • They had some good promos when they partnered with KitKat. I remember getting a lot of Google Play credit from buying KitKat bars at the time.
  • Orbit chewing gum
  • Lol
  • I've been using nougat since I got 5x a month ago. While it's good. I'd want settings list in tabbed form as opposed to long list (like Samsung). And dark theme. I've rooted my 5x and used substratum for theme. I hope Google could implement the substratum like theming in next version. Heck I'd take just a black color everywhere instead of white. A good backup app or manager (like iOS). Every time I change my phone I need to use two or three apps just to backup and restore my data which is not what regular users would do. So a backup overhaul is a must for Google.
  • Yep, Nich Chum is working hard to catch Google's eye and put Interfacer/Substratum in AOSP. It kind of annoys me that Google says they back up app data when they really don't, which is the entire reason I use Titanium Backup.
  • Sony put their theme engine code in AOSP a few years ago as well. Not sure why it hasn't been a priority for Google.
  • Try one of the many roms for the 5X, you may find the feature you're looking for. I use AICP now. AICP has substratum built in it(you can find it in settings/AICP extras).
  • Android O, I haven't even gotten Android N
  • Meanwhile most users are still on 🍭
  • Welcome to android!
  • Okay, and? Should the entire rest of the platform wait because OEM's don't want to update their phones? Also, what version of Google Play Services are those phones running? That's what really matters.
  • Well people need to purchase accordingly. You want updates, get a phone that gets them regularly.
  • My sprint HTC One M9 has not been updated to Nougat yet
  • So don't buy htc anymore.
  • Meh, by the time most Android phone's get "O" Android T should be out......
  • Orange Juice. Just because someone already said Oatmeal and Oreo. Did AC announce the giveaway winner for guessing version N? I thought there was one.
  • I hope the O version puts extra hardware buttons, switches, scroll and toggle wheels plus camera buttons on the phone body, so I don't have to chase an ever moving screen with a finger. That's not asking much :)
  • Android Octogenarian
  • Thought I had the right name with the simple Onion, but hats off to you, Octogenarian wins.
  • No new Andromeda tidbits? :)
  • Chill bro chillll we legit just got a new one
  • "you get a little bit of good info and a little bit of bad info and mix it up with a whole lot of vague info." You forgot Speculation, that's vague mixed with wish.
  • but,but,but,but, my Samsung just got Nougat.
  • So don't buy Samsung anymore
  • Sarcasm.
  • All I can say is that Android "O" is short for Orange julius. Otherwise it's just going to be another incremental version like Nougat.
  • Orgasm...
  • We're all pleased for you. Now what are thoughts on Android O. ( walked into that one / just joking! )
  • Now your phone is going to be sticky....
  • Oatcake
  • Oreo
  • Android O-face
  • This lol
  • Android OMM NOMM NOMM?
  • ANDROID OREO!
  • Android Onion www.XperiBlog.com
  • Android Oh No You Din't
  • Another messaging app? Yup....
  • So nothing really enticing just yet for O?
  • They might make one page dark then other light, then alternate....
  • Android Obama
  • How about - "O" NO not another OS until you FIX the previous three???!!!!!
    Absolutely NO need for another Android version. Once every two or three years is more than enough!
    This is not what sells phones...this is what Breaks them!
  • How does releasing a new Android version break phones running existing versions?
  • I have never had an Android update that didn't some with some sort of catch or drawback. They always include nice new features, but they always come with the downside of a less responsive UI, worse battery life, or bugs that didn't exist prior to the update.
  • I'm sure the villagers will show up with torches and pitchforks for this one. But these updates come out way to soon. People should get the chance to get cozy with the current one for at least a year and a half before they're looking forward to the next one. Just saying..... (he's a monster!.. Burn his land!)
  • android 0ilball...
  • Let me guess -- Ultra Advanced Doze, to bork battery life on my S7 edge even more!
  • Just keep improving battery life. That's all we need right now. Other things are bells and whistles.
  • If this years IO announcement is anything like previous ones then I predict a new messaging app and a bunch of features/services/devices that are not available outside the US.
  • As much as Oreo would be the obvious choice. They​will probably go the safer route and call it Orange creamsicle or something like that. Otherwise more stuff to go Oh that's cool then wait and wait again. Finally having it role out and it not being anywhere near what we expected or wanted. With them saying Isn't it just Great. And we'll be saying WTH Google again.
  • Finally, nerds have a way give a girl an O.
  • Maybe Android orgasm
  • Android Orange Slice