Android O could be just a week away

Android O is no secret, in fact it’s been announced and available in various developer previews for months now, but a final official release date has yet to be revealed. Despite that, we might see it arrive in finished form as soon as next week.

That’s according to David Ruddock, who tweeted on Wednesday that we should expect it in about a week, so around August 9 or 10. As sources go he’s reasonably reliable, though he notes that it could be pushed.

With no announcement from Google, no name and no expectation of seeing the Pixel 2 - a phone which would seem the obvious launchpad for Android O - before October, we remain a bit skeptical, but he could very possibly be right.

Android Nougat landed on August 22 last year, so almost a year ago, and prior to the launch of the original Google Pixel and Google Pixel XL, though it did have its dessert name prior to release, which Android O doesn’t yet.

The wait won't be over

Even assuming he is right, that’s not to say you’ll be able to get Android O on your phone any time soon – not unless you have a Pixel or perhaps a Nexus anyway.

Other phones usually take a couple of months or more to get the update after it’s released, if they get it at all, but a launch next week should mean that many high-profile handsets will have Android O before the end of the year.

And it’s an update you’ll likely want, with faster boot times, a picture-in-picture mode, improved power saving features and more all confirmed for Google’s operating system update.