SINGAPORE - Google released the latest version of its operating system, called Android Pie, on Tuesday (Aug 7) - boasting new artificial intelligence features that promise to extend battery life.

According to Google, a new operating system - named after a dessert just like its predecessors - will learn apps users use most often and prioritise battery-use to suit. It will also over time learn someone's preferred screen brightness level based how the person manually adjusts it, instead of picking a level based on lighting conditions.

The update also introduces a new navigation system based on swipes, similar to that used on the iPhone X, which means the perennial row of buttons Android users have become used to can be optionally reduced to a single 'Home' button.

The much anticipated digital wellness tools, however, were left out of this release with Google saying those will be introduced in the coming months.

At its conference in May, the tech giant had previewed features that help people track how much time they are spending on their devices. This included a dashboard to help users understand how they are spending time on their phones as well as a timer that sets limits on how long one can use an app.

As has been the case for recent edition of its Android operating system, the updates will first be available owners of Google's own Pixel phones. Google had only last year (2017) made its flagship Pixel 2 XL phone available officially in Singapore.

"Starting today, an over-the-air update to Android 9 will begin rolling out to Pixel phones. And devices that participated in the Beta program from Sony Mobile, Xiaomi, HMD Global, Oppo, Vivo, OnePlus and Essential, as well as all qualifying Android One devices, will receive this update by the end of this fall," said Google.