Skip to content

Android O is Coming‚ QA Implications

Android O

What does it mean for your QA Department?

As we all know, it's exciting when new devices, OS, and software get released. However it's also challenging for everyone ‚ including QA. Each new release is really a new adventure, a new map, a new planet for your QA team to explore. The second version of Android O, is now available to download as a developer preview. And soon, very soon, it will become one of the standard versions we QA in the testing world.

At a glance, not much appears to be very different. But don't be fooled!

The differences between Android O and the last OS are subtle but have large implications. Across the board Settings are simplified dramatically, which affects everything. Check out the new features in Notifications ‚ they can be tweaked, and even silenced for an individual app ‚ not to mention Notification Dots. The Security & Locked screens are now bundled. A new Connected Devices section includes Cast, NFC and Bluetooth. Enable Developer Options to configure system behaviors that help you profile and debug app performance ‚ such as the all-new Bluetooth codex. The System UI Tuner offers a completely new set of personalizations available to the end-user, such as changing the navigation, settings for phablets and one-hand gestures. Adaptive icons are coming as well.

To install APKs from unknown sources you're no longer presented with checkboxes, but a somewhat safer approach was taken ‚ you now have to allow each application individually. In the Nougat release and all previous versions, the background processes related to running applications were fairly controlled by the apps themselves‚ now they will have to depend on job schedules. And this isn't even a comprehensive list of what's changed.

QA Challenge Accepted

Any designers reading? Get ready, because you will now be able to use many fonts, rather than be limited to only what the phone decides to use. Exciting for designers, but good luck my QA friends.

Did I say that this Android 8.0 version is suppose to be released around September? We better get ready now. Pair this with the arrival of Google Chrome Canary as the latest incoming web browser version, bringing its new range of features? Buckle up! Prepare your eyes, hands and Selenium files. I can see a whole new ranges of tweaks and bugs incoming.

It makes me recall Amit Kalantri's words, "Software testing is a sport like hunting, it's bug hunting." Let the hunt begin!

Blog & Events

Featured Work