While split-screen multitasking is something that has been included in Microsoft's Surface Pro line for years and has been a staple of Samsung devices since the Galaxy Note 8.0, the feature is new to the native Android operating system.
In fact, when Google unveiled its high-end productivity tablet, the powerful Pixel C, critics were quick to point out that one of the device's weaknesses is its inability to multitask very well due to stock Android's inability to use apps side-by-side.
However, all that might change with the release of Google's newest mobile operating system, since one of Android N's primary upgrades is the system's ability to use apps simultaneously. With the feature, Google has managed to catch up with its competition.
The tech giant seems to have worked a lot in its split-screen multi-window feature, as well, with testers of the operating system noticing that Google has added the very useful functionality of dragging and dropping text from one window to another. While this might seem basic to some, it does, nonetheless, mean a lot for the Pixel C.
The Pixel C was designed as Google's productivity tablet. Created to take on Apple's iPad Pro and Microsoft's Surface Pro 4, the Pixel C was supposed to be the Android device that could replace a full-fledged laptop computer. However, while the device in itself is admirable when it was released, the software it came with left much to be desired.
With the Android N operating system, the Google Pixel C becomes an entirely different beast. Despite Android N being in its beta stages, the feature runs smoothly in the powerful productivity tablet, making the device exactly what it was made to be - an efficient gadget that gets work done.
In a lot of ways, adding Android N allows the Pixel C to become a very handy version of the company's flagship laptop, the Google Chromebook Pixel 2, with the added advantage of having access to the best of what Android has to offer. The operating system's app store alone is worth noting.
While it is true that at this point, Android is just catching up to its competitors in the productivity market, Google's innovations with Android N, coupled with the added features that it gives to a powerful device such as the Pixel C, is nonetheless a commendable effort.
Of course, the fact that Google has significantly slashed the price of the Pixel C is yet another good reason for consumers to buy the device.
