Google unveils Android O, promising better battery life

Developer preview version of new operating system released showcasing a suite of improvements

Google has released the developer preview for the next version of its operating system (OS), Android O (which will eventually get a sweet-themed name to follow Lollipop, Marshmallow and Nougat). The new OS includes a suite of small improvements - and a few large ones - that will make life easier for Android users everywhere.

The most significant is a new approach to dealing with apps running in the background, which Google says should markedly improve the battery life of phones, tablets and other devices. Now, apps are automatically limited in what they can do when they're running in the background, in three specific areas: background services, location updates and implicit broadcasts.