Android P is officially Android 9.0 Pie.
Google confirmed today that the next major release of Android, version 9.0, is also known as Pie. The update will begin rolling out to Pixel phones today and will go out to devices that participated in the Android P Beta Program — devices from Sony, Xiaomi, HMD Global, Oppo, Vivo, OnePlus, and Essential — by the end of this fall. Essential says that it's pushing Android Pie to the Essential Phone today, the same day as Google's Pixel phones are getting the update.
All qualifying Android One devices will also get an Android Pie update by the end of the fall.
The update to Android Pie is a big one, bringing with it a new system navigation that's focused on gestures. You can swipe up on the new home button to get to the Overview, which will give you full-screen previews of your running apps. On Pixel phones, you can also select text from your apps while in the Overview.
Android P also brings with it a refreshed Quick Settings menu, a better way to take screenshots, and better notification management. A new Adaptive Battery feature will learn the apps that you use the most and prioritize battery for them, and Adaptive Brightness will learn how you like your phone brightness in different settings and try to set it for you.
The update to Android 9.0 brings new features to help you get things done more quickly, too. App Actions will try to predict what you'll want to do next based on context and show those actions in your app drawer. For example, you might see suggestions for navigating to work on Google Maps or resuming an audiobook before your commute to work. And starting this fall, Android Pie will include Slices, which will show relevant info from apps. You can begin typing "Lyft" into Google Search and Slices will show you prices for a ride to home and an ETA for a driver, all without launching into the Lyft app.
Google is placing a big focus on Digital Wellbeing with Android P, too, with features like a Dashboard that'll show how you use your phone, an App Timer to set time limits on your app usage, and a new Do Not Disturb. There's also a Wind Down feature that'll combine Night Light and Do Not Disturb and also fade your screen to grayscale to make it easier for you to fall asleep. These Digital Wellbeing features will launch on Pixel phones this fall and Android One devices later, but Pixel owners can sign up for the beta trial right now.