Google releases AI-packed Android 9 Pie to make your phone smarter

Google has released its latest version of Android Operating System -- Android 9 Pie, which harnesses the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to predict how users would like to experience their devices while offering a smoother navigation system and an easier way to track and limit usage of apps.

It comes with features like Adaptive Battery, which learns the apps you use most and prioritises battery for them, Google said in a statement on Monday. Another interesting feature that Android 9 Pie brings is Adaptive Brightness, which learns how you like to set the brightness in different settings, and does it for you.

"Android 9 aims to make your phone even smarter by learning from you and adapting to your usage patterns," said Sameer Samat, Vice President of Product Management, Android and Google Play. 

"It also helps you get things done faster, like predicting what you will want to do next based on your context and displaying that action right on your phone," Samat said, adding that the company was working to add key capabilities right into Android to help people achieve the balance with technology they are looking for.

At Google developers conference in May, Google previewed digital wellbeing features for Android including a new Dashboard that shows time spent on the device; an App Timer that lets users set time limits on apps and greys out the icon on the home screen when the time is up.

Google said "Digital Wellbeing" is now available in beta for Pixel phones running Android 9, and will be officially available in the next few months. 

It will be coming to Android One and other devices later in 2018, the tech giant added.

Android 9 features a new system navigation featuring a single, clean home button. Users can swipe up to see a newly designed "Overview", the place where you have at-a-glance full-screen previews of your last used apps. 

The "Smart Text Selection" feature is designed to make switching between apps easier.

Google said Android P also brings a redesigned Quick Settings that offers among other things a better way to take and edit screenshots, simplified volume controls, and an easier way to manage notifications. 

"With Android 9 we have made software more secure from Code-reuse attacks, and installed features which add a layer of security to biometrics," Google said. 

Android 9 also has features to improve your privacy and security of sensitive data like credit card information, according to Google.

"Starting today, an over-the-air update to Android 9 will begin rolling out to Pixel phones," Google said on Monday. 

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Devices that participated in the Beta programme from Sony Mobile, Xiaomi, HMD Global, Oppo, Vivo, OnePlus, and Essential Phones, as well as all qualifying Android One devices, will receive this update by the end of 2018, it added.