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Motorola reportedly started testing the Android 8.1 Oreo update for the Moto G5 earlier today, with the test build presently being available for download by Motorola Feedback Network members in Brazil. The current build should be identified by the version number OPP28.85-3 and since this is not a full-fledged public rollout, availability could differ from one beta tester to another and should expand gradually. The package also contains the Android security patch for July as well as unspecified bug fixes and stability improvements.
The Moto G5 was launched in the first quarter of 2017 running Android 7.0 Nougat and the first signs of it being planned for an Oreo update emerged this May when the smartphone was discovered in an online benchmark listing running Oreo. Since then, another member of the series – the Moto G5S Plus – entered an Android Oreo soak test initiated last month, and the Moto G5 Plus joined it earlier this week. As expected, the beta version of Android 8.1 Oreo for the Moto G5 should contain the usual features and improvements associated with the standard OS version, as Motorola’s devices don’t usually run custom UIs on top of Google’s software. Features should include notification dots, additional themes and new animations, improved data saving functionalities, higher battery life, improved multitasking, and various other beneficial changes to the UI.
Nevertheless, some of these features might not work to their fullest potential, as the purpose of beta-testing a software release is to find potential issues and iron them out prior to a widespread public rollout. Having said that, the update is available only to users willing to participate in the final stages of its development. As for when Android 8.1 Oreo will become available to the general public in Brazil and elsewhere, that mostly depends on how smooth the soak-testing period will be, with the company’s previous testing practices indicating it may run for up to a month.