Android 8.0 Oreo coming to Verizon Pixel and Pixel XL today

Android 8.0 Oreo’s announcement brought forth a slew of questions, which we cover in our full review of the new OS version. Among them is the obvious one, though – when will my phone get Oreo? It is safe to assume Pixel and Nexus smartphones will be among the first of the bunch, and those updates have already started rolling out. But what about those of us who are stuck with carrier versions of the handset?

Verizon has just announced the Android 8.0 Oreo upgrade is ready to roll out to its Pixel and Pixel XL units. Both update pages show these changes, which should be rolling out starting today. The new build number is labeled as OPR6.170623.012.

What’s new? There is plenty to be said about any Android version, but this one is especially praised for being a very stable and well-made software. It is clean, yet very functional, and comes packed with plenty of features behind the scenes. These include picture-in-picture support, an improved notification system, an Instant Apps section, Autofill and more.

What’s most notable though is the inclusion of the always-on display feature that we first saw signs of a few weeks ago. According to the release notes, the always-on display will transition to ambient display mode when you receive notifications. Screenshots of the always-on display feature can be found below:

You can read all about the new software and its features in our Android 8.0 Oreo review. For now, Verizon Pixel and Pixel XL users should go ahead and check for updates. Head over to Settings > About phone > System updates > Check for update. But don’t go crazy if you don’t see an update. These tend to roll out periodically, so be sure it will be coming relatively soon.