Google has released the updated version of its Android Oreo operating system to developers in beta, just a couple of months after unveiling the OS named after the popular chocolate biscuit.

The Android 8.1 Developer Preview, which enables developers to prepare their apps ahead of the December public rollout of the updated OS, places a focus on a new Neural Networks API and optimisations for Android Go.

The Neural Networks API has been added via the native development kit (NDK) with the aim of accelerating on-device machine intelligence. It has been designed to be used as a foundational layer for Google TensorFlow Lite, as well as Caffe2.

Furthermore, Google has included a set of memory optimisations for Android Go configurations. Android Go is a version of the Android operating system for budget-friendly phones in developing markets. Google has added hardware feature constants, enabling developers to target their app and APK distribution to normal or low-RAM devices running Android 8.1 or later.

On top of those key developments, there have also been enhancements made to Autofill, and the addition of a shared memory API – enabling apps to allocate shared memory for faster access to common data.

The Developer Preview will be available – through enrolment in the Android beta program – for Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL devices, as well as for Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel C, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, and the Android emulator.

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