Google makes Android 8.1 preview available for testing

Google has started rolling out an update to the Android 8.1 developer preview, the last before the official launch to consumers in December. Android 8.1 adds targeted enhancements to the Oreo platform, including optimisations for Android Go (for devices with 1GB or less of memory) and a Neural Networks API to accelerate on-device machine intelligence. It also includes a few smaller enhancements to Oreo in response to user and developer feedback.

If you have a device enrolled in the Android Beta Program, you'll receive the update over the next few days. If you haven't enrolled yet, just visit the Android Beta site to enrol and get the update.

The preview update includes near-final Android 8.1 system images for Pixel and Nexus devices, with official APIs (API level 27), the latest optimizations and bug fixes, and the November 2017 security patch updates.

The Neural Networks API provides accelerated computation and inference for on-device machine learning frameworks like TensorFlow Lite -- Google's cross-platform ML library for mobile -- as well as Caffe2 and others. TensorFlow Lite is now available to developers, TensorFlow Lite works with the Neural Networks API to run models like MobileNets, Inception v3, and Smart Reply efficiently on your mobile device.

Developers will be also be able to fully utilise the Pixel Visual Core to offer HDR+ shots on their apps, using the Android Camera API. This means that third-party apps would be able to deliver an experience close to the default camera app on the Pixel 2 models.

Google promises that official release in December will roll out to all supported Pixel and Nexus devices worldwide -- including Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel C, Nexus 5X, and Nexus 6P.