After two developer previews to test the waters before a final release, Google is now pushing out Android 8.1 to the general public to Pixel and Nexus devices. This is a pretty minor update for Pixel 2 users, but for those rocking older Google hardware, there's actually a lot of new stuff to check out.
The reason for this is that 8.1 brings the Pixel 2 software experience to devices like the first-gen Pixel, Nexus 6P, 5X, etc. This means you'll have now have a Google Search bar below your dock, the At a Glance widget at the top for weather and calendar info, light and dark themes that automatically turn on based on which wallpaper you're using, slightly transparent Quick Settings menu and – most importantly – a proper Oreo easter egg.
For older hardware and the Pixel 2, you'll see that the navigation bar turns to a white background with gray buttons in settings and certain apps in an attempt to fight off burn-in found with the Pixel 2 XL, in addition to it now dimming when not being used.
With the Pixel 2 specifically, Google's Pixel Visual Core is now available for developers to tap into. Lastly, all of the fixes found with the latest December 5, 2017 security patch are here as well.
This update comes alongside the release of Oreo for Android Go hardware, and if you want to get 8.1 on your phone without waiting for the OTA, you can find and download the system images here.
How to get the latest version of Android 8.1 Oreo on your Pixel or Nexus
