Android O will let users pause a system update mid-way and pick up where they left off later. The pause update option will reportedly be part of a Play Services update on Android O. The feature should be much appreciated amongst users, and has quite a few possible benefits.
For example, best practices suggest that Android updates should always be done on WiFi. That saves mobile data, while also minimising chances of connections dropping during the update process. Similarly, battery levels should also be on the higher side for updates to be performed. So, the new feature will allow users to download updates over extended periods, depending on battery and WiFi levels.
While pausing updates may not matter for smaller versions, major Android releases will be easier to update this way. Especially in countries like India, where data is still a scarce resource, pausing Android updates and picking up where you left off can be a life-saver at times. It also ensures that the chances of losing download data mid-update are reduced.
The feature is already live on the second developer preview of Android O, which was released at Google I/O this year. It seems to be part of Google’s efforts at streamlining the update process.