Taiwanese consumer electronics major has confirmed the release of the latest Android Pie software to the flagship Zenfone 5Z early next year.
Google's sweet pastry flavoured mobile OS will be distributed automatically via a firmware-over-the-air (FOTA) update to the Zenfone 5Z (model number: ZS620KL) before the end of the January 2018.
Asus Zenfone 5Z made its debut in mid-2018 with Android Oreo out-of-the-box and will soon get Android Pie update. It will bring new full-screen friendly interface, performance enhancements, increase battery life via adaptive display brightness feature, security patch to thwart malware attack, Digital wellbeing features to prevent addiction to the phone and more [full details below].
After the Zenfone 5Z, the company is expected to bring the Android Pie to the popular mid-range model Zenfone Max Pro M1 and also to the generic Zenfone 5.
Android Pie: All you need to know
- Besides the regular Google security patch, Android 9 Pie brings several new safety features, including a standardized biometric authentication prompt to provide a more consistent authentication experience across Android.
- After upgrading to the Android Pie, devices will restrict any apps accessing users' phone microphone, camera, or other sensors when an app is idle or running in the background. (If an app does need to access a sensor, it will show a persistent notification on your phone.)
- Furthermore, Android 9 introduces several new security features, including a standardized biometric authentication prompt to provide a more consistent authentication experience across Android.
- The Pie update also brings important enhancements that protect all web communications and offer private web surfing. It enables encryption of Android backups with a client-side secret (the device PIN, pattern or password) for greater security.
- One of the notable aspects of the new Android Pie is the digital wellbeing. It brings Dashboard, which highlights screen time and phone usage including how many times the device has been unlocked and a number of notifications received so that they get an overview on how much a user is obsessed with the phone. It also allows users to set App Timers to put limits on app usage
- Android Pie also comes with Wind Down and Do Not Disturb. With these features, users can set a daily schedule to get the phone ready for bed. Its screen fades to Grayscale, while Do Not Disturb silences notifications for a restful sleep. He/she can activate Do Not Disturb anytime they want to disconnect.
- Android Pie's Slices feature identifies relevant information of users' favourite apps to make them more easily accessible when they need them
- Android 9 Pie also makes notifications more useful and offer actionable functionalities with conversations such as attach photos and stickers along with suggesting smart replies. Also, helps users get things done faster by predicting their next move and displaying the right action on the phone.
- The new System navigation system offers a single home button that provides intelligent predictions and suggestions (user enabled).
- Other notable features include full-view screen friendly swipe-based navigation interface option, revamped setting drawer, adaptive battery and display, extend battery life and several others.
