Oreo 8.1 Is Rolling Out To Pixel & Nexus Devices With The December Security Patch, OTA & Factory Images Available

Oreo 8.1 is out of beta and now rolling out to the Nexus 5X, 6P, Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel C, Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. As was the case with the release of Nougat 7.1.1 last year, the December security patch is also bundled with Oreo 8.1.

The most significant change in Android 8.1 is the support for Neural Network APIs. Google has now opened up its TensorFlow Lite library to developers so that they can make use of machine learning algorithms on mobile devices. Oreo 8.1 will also allow third party developers to make use of the Pixel Visual Core - shipped on the Pixel 2 and 2 XL - for image processing tasks. Other changes in Android 8.1 include fixes to emojis and enhancements to the user interface.

The source code for Oreo 8.1 will soon be dropping over the repositories of AOSP. So you can expect your favorite custom ROMs to support Android 8.1 soon.

This update is likely going to be the last major update for the Nexus 5X and 6P. Both the devices will still continue to get security patches until November 2018.

The Oreo 8.1 update is slowly rolling out via OTA. If you own any aforementioned eligible device, you will soon be seeing an OTA notification. You can also manually upgrade your device by flashing the factory or OTA images linked in the source.

Source: Android Developers Blog, Factory Images, OTA Images, Android Security Bulletin

[Image credit - Google]

Krittin Kalra

Krittin Kalra is a 20 year old Android freak. Striving for passions, chasing down his dreams and living a life without regrets is his sole mantra. A bit moody, he also does custom ROM reviews for AndroGuider. Currently pursuing his B.Tech, he aspires to follow his heart.