Android 8.0 News: Google Is Now Creating New Features for Their Next Mobile Software Update
Reports are starting to surface that Google is now on the move to create the next version of its mobile software and that it has started developing new features for it.
According to Venture Beat, they were reportedly told by a source familiar to the development of the next Android that Google is developing "new assistive features" that might see the light of day once Android 8.0 gets released.
If smart assistance turns out to be one of Google's focuses when it comes to its new Android version, this will give the company a chance to keep up with Apple's iOS 10 that has already incorporated artificial intelligence in several pre-installed apps, Venture Beat pointed out in the same report.
Aside from the possibly more advanced smart assistant, Google is also reportedly developing several other features expected to be unveiled later this year.
One of the reported new features is called Copy Less. It practically makes the software detect the relevant parts of a text or webpage that the owner intends to copy and paste, based on a conversation, to another app.
As an example, Venture Beat mentioned that if an Android owner is texting with his friend about going out to dinner and then he goes to the restaurant-rating site Yelp and chooses a restaurant, the system will automatically copy relevant bits of information from the site which can be quickly pasted on the conversation screen.
Another rumored addition is Android's ability to prompt open the Google Maps app and command it to automatically show directions to a location by simply tapping on an address sent in a message.
Android 8.0 is also expected to feature finger gestures. For example, drawing the letter "C" with the tip of the finger on the screen will tell the system to open the Contacts app. However, according to Venture Beat's source, the finger gesture feature can be delayed or might not even be included in the new Android version at all.