Google LLC today moved forward on the Android front, rolling out the next iteration of its mobile operating system Android 9 and acquiring a startup that makes mobile graphics benchmarking tools to assist in Android development.

Succeeding the previous Android version called Oreo, the new one is called Pie, maintaining Google’s habit of naming new releases in alphabetical order. It comes out of the gate offering artificial intelligence support “baked in to make your phone smarter, simpler and more tailored to you.”

The AI is claimed to be able to predict the next task a user wishes to make to allow them to “jump right into the action” and also offers a new battery prioritization feature, both of which use machine learning to adapt to an individual’s usage patterns.

Included is a new feature called “slices” that involves the AI working in the background to suggest apps and shortcuts based on what it thinks a user may require without requiring a user to download an app or search for a website with the information or service.

In what may be little more than an interesting dinner party conversation given that people are divided on them, notches are supported natively in Android 9 Pie. Existing Android phones with notches have had to rely on manufacturer-level software tweaks, whereas native support will allow developers to support Android phones with notches across the board.

Mimicking Apple Inc.’s iOS to some extent, the new version of Android gets a new system navigation function featuring a single home button. It allows users to swipe up to see a newly designed Overview, the area where they can view recently viewed apps.

On the acquisition front, Google confirmed that it has acquired GraphicsBuzz Ltd., a London-based startup that offers automated reliability testing of graphics processing unit drivers, for an undisclosed sum.

Founded in 2017, GraphicsBuzz offers a combination of fuzzing and metamorphic testing to yield a highly automatic method for testing graphics drivers. The startup claims it quickly finds and fixes bugs that could undermine reliability and security before they affect end users.

For those wanting to get their hands on the new version of Android, patience is required, unless you own a Pixel phone, since Google has started rolling out the update to users of its own brand of phone. Users of qualified Android One devices along with Sony Xperia XZ2, Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S, Nokia 7 Plus, Oppo R15 Pro, Vivo X21, OnePlus 6 and Essential PH‑1 will get the update by the “end of this fall.” Google’s older Nexus phones won’t get it.

Owners of other phones leave their Android fate in the hands of their device manufacturers. Google said it’s working with “a number of other partners to launch or upgrade devices to Android 9 this year.”

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