Android Oreo 8.1 beta now available to Nokia 2: Here's how to get it

Last month, HMD Global Oy, during the Moscow product launch event, confirmed to release Android v8.1 Oreo to Nokia 2 soon and as promised, the company has opened the doors for the public software developers to test the new firmware.

Juho Sarvikas on Twitter confirmed the news and has invited testers with Nokia 2 to enroll at Nokia Beta Labs website. Registered developers then get an OTA update and will be required to give feedback to the company so that they can weed out bugs before releasing it to the public en masse.

When will the Android 8.1 Oreo public version release to Nokia 2?

Usually, the company gives a month's time for testers to give their opinion on the experience and report any glitches faced during the trial period. After taking all inputs, it conducts a final test and releases it to the public. So Nokia 2 owners can expect to received new Android 8.1 Oreo update before the end of July if not early.

It can be noted that the upcoming update is special Android Go edition software developed specifically for the budget phone and is assured of improving the device's performance over time.

For the uninitiated, Google's newly introduced Android Go is developed particularly for budget phones with bare minimum hardware (1GB or less RAM) in developing markets like India and Africa. It is very light in size but does not compromise in terms of performance.

What's coming in Android 8.1 Oreo?

• A notable aspect of the Android Oreo is the Rescue Party feature, which helps the device recover from constant boot loops.

• Android Oreo comes with optimisations to enhance battery life by cutting down on unnecessary background activities of apps, faster booting, and a more fluid experience. The update also boasts of enhancements in security via Google security patch and Google Play Protect which keeps a tab on suspicious activities and malware in apps.

• It also comes with a value-added battery management feature that will allow the user to see the battery life status of the wireless earphones, so he or she can know beforehand to charge them before heading out.
• New biometric security options allow the user to disable fingerprint reader if an unregistered fingerprint tries to open the phone more than a pre-set number of attempts.
• It also comes with the picture-in-picture feature, which enables device owners to multi-task, like checking the calendar while planning a party on a Duo video call.
• Google's Android team has also added Neural Networks API (NNAPI) support in v8.1 Oreo, which will enable device's machine-learning capabilities to improve user-experience of Google Assistant. Though we are not sure if an entry-level phone like Nokia 2 has the compatible hardware to run NNAPI.
• The Safe Browser feature intuitively detects when users unknowingly go to malicious URLs, and it will stop any spying attempts on the phone.
• Smart Text Selection will improve copy and paste option. With the help of machine learning to recognise entities on the screen—like a complete address—users will be able to easily select text they want with a double tap, and even bring up an app like Maps to help during navigation.

Stay tuned. Follow us @IBTimesIN_Tech on Twitter and on Google News for latest updates on HMD Global Oy's Nokia products and Android Oreo release schedule details.