It's been close to a year since Motorola announced to release Android Oreo to the Moto G5 series and now, the company has finally fulfilled its promise by clubbing all the features of v8.0 and the 8.1.
Motorola confirmed the news on official consumer help forum and like previous times, the software is being rolled out in phases and will take a few weeks to reach all corners of the world.
"Hello everyone, I know many of you have been eagerly awaiting Oreo for your Moto G5 Plus and Moto G5. I'm happy to say that we've started rolling out the Oreo update in phases for the Moto G5 Plus in India and Brazil and the Moto G5 in Mexico. Please be patient as not all devices in India, Brazil, and Mexico will get the update immediately. Other regions are still pending and will get the update in the future, " Motorola forum admin said.
This Android 8.1 Oreo update will be the last major software update for Motorola Moto G5 and the G5 Plus. They are not eligible for the latest Android Pie, as the company will be focusing to deliver it to 2018 series models only. To be fair, Moto G5 series owners should consider themselves lucky to have received the Oreo, as Motorola has dropped Moto E5 series, which launched in April 2018, from the list of Android Pie-eligible devices' list. But, its early days, Motorola may reverse the decision, if they face strong consumer backlash like it happened for the Moto G4 series.
Also read: Motorola Android Pie tracker: Get real-time software release status for Moto G6, Z3 and more
Here's how to install Android v8.1 Oreo on Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus:
1. Once you get new software notification, select "Yes, I'm in"
2. After the software is downloaded, select "Install now"
3. After the software is installed, your phone will restart automatically
4. Your phone is now updated
The device owners can also check for updates manually by going to Settings >> About Phone >> System Updates, and check for the new firmware.
Android 8.1 Oreo: Key features you should know
- 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.
- 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.
- The Safe Browser feature intuitively detects when users unknowingly go to malicious URLs, and it will stop any spying attempts on the phone.
- 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.
- 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 Moto G5 series has the compatible hardware to run NNAPI.
- 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.
