Google: Pixel Visual Core to be Enabled in Android 8.1 Developer Preview 2

As most Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL owners should know, inside your phone is a special image processor, known as the Pixel Visual Core. As of now, this special processor is not enabled, but Google has provided specific details about when we’ll be able to utilize it.

According to a post on the Android Developers website, the team says it’s not enabled inside the already released Developer Preview 1 for Android 8.1, but it will be enabled inside Developer Preview 2. Confirmed by Google, Developer Preview 2 for Android 8.1 will be available later this month.

From the release notes for Android 8.1.

Pixel Visual Core is Google’s first custom-designed co-processor for image processing and machine learning on consumer devices. If your app uses the camera APIs and you have a Pixel 2 device, you’ll be able try an early version of Pixel Visual Core starting in Developer Preview 2, planned for November 2017. Testing on Developer Preview 1 is not yet supported.

If you’re a developer or eager user trying to test this out, look for it later this month.