The Google Pixel received Android 8.0 Oreo on August 21, though thousands of people had been using it in Developer Preview form for longer than that.
Still, a finished Android version is sure to attract a lot of attention, even from average folks whose lives don't revolve around the comings and goings of updates named after sweet treats. And while Android 8.0 Oreo is only available for five devices — the Pixel, Pixel XL, Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X, and Pixel C tablet — it's been long enough now that we can reasonably evaluate its success or failure based on a number of metrics.
Besides a few minor issues, Oreo seems to be a solid update so far.
Personally, I've had some issues with Oreo on my Pixel XL. Bluetooth has never been great on the Pixel, but Oreo promised improvements; alas, those don't seem to have been included in my bundle. Indeed, I've had tremendous trouble keeping various Bluetooth headphones and speakers connected without stuttering and dropouts, even when the device is close by. Occasionally I even lose the connection altogether and have to re-pair the Pixel to the headphones to continue playing wirelessly.
Another issue I've had, which could just be my phone, is a lack of incoming text messages. Doesn't matter if I'm using the default Messages app or something like Facebook Messenger or Textra, SMS are just not getting through. Removing the SIM and putting it in another phone resolves the problem. This wasn't an issue prior to the update to Oreo, but I took this phone through the Developer Previews, which could have installed some gremlins. I'm going to factory reset my Pixel XL to see if it resolves things on that end.
Other than those two minor issues, Oreo has been a solid update so far. Performance is good, apps run well (even those that haven't been updated to support Oreo's new features) and I really like some of the user-facing changes, like Adaptive Icons and improvements to notifications (including the divisive colored media notifications).
So, how's it going for you? Any issues that we should know about? How's battery life holding up post-Oreo? Let us know in the comments below!
