Google rolls out Android P "Pie" starting today

Android version 9 is also known as Android 'P' and has now been revelaed as Android Pie. The latest Android updated is starting to come to compatible devices today (barring interference from carriers). 

Starting today, an over-the-air update to Android 9 will begin rolling out to Pixel phones. And devices that participated in the Beta program from Sony Mobile, Xiaomi, HMD Global, Oppo, Vivo, OnePlus, and Essential, as well as all qualifying Android One devices, should receive this update by the end of this fall.

Android 9 Pie is more reliant on AI and machine learning for smarter and more personal interactions. "We’ve built Android 9 to learn from you—and work better for you—the more you use it. From predicting your next task so you can jump right into the action you want to take, to prioritizing battery power for the apps you use most, to helping you disconnect from your phone at the end of the day, Android 9 adapts to your life and the ways you like to use your phone," Google said in a release today,

Android 9 Pie is also preemtive and uses App Actions to predict what a user wants to do next and pushes alerts and options depending on time and location. 

"Later this fall, we’ll also roll out Slices (pie...slices...get it?!) which shows relevant information from your favorite apps when you need it. If you start typing “Lyft” into Google Search, you’ll see a “slice” of the Lyft app, showing prices for your ride home and the ETA for a driver so you can take action more quickly and easily," Google says. This means a way to cut through apps and still being able to use their specific features without having to open apps and go through manifold steps.

Another huge change is the introduction of a single home button. Yes, it sounds like something Apple's already done on the iPhone (until iPhone X), but it should make navigation smoother on taller devices. 

Android P will also introduce Digital Well Being, a new feature that tracks and manages smartphone usage to help us cut down on screen time. A more mindful Do Not Disturb feature which silences all the visual interruptions that pop up on your screen; and Wind Down, which switches on Night Light and Do Not Disturb and fades the screen to grayscale before bedtime.

Learn more about Android 9 Pie at android.com/9.