Android 7: N : Nougat : 15 Cool Features
Android N named Nougat: 15 Cool features and updates it will bring to your Android phones
The official name of Android N has been announced, and NO it is not what you expected it to be! Google announced few hours back that the new iteration of the Android OS, popularly known as Android N, will officially be called Android Nougat, instead of Nutella as most people speculated.
After much speculation and guess work around what the Android N would be called, Google finally chose Snapchat as a platform to announce the name of the new version.
Users can get the update in beta by signing up for Android Beta Program, which will allow them to upgrade via OTA update.
When is the new Android N update releasing:
Google surprised us all by releasing the Android N developer’s preview two months earlier than the Google I/O 2016 where it was expected to unveil the new version.
The Android N preview was made available for the Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6, Nexus 9 (Wi-Fi and LTE), Nexus Player and Pixel C for developers, and the first beta release happened during Google I/O on May 18, 2016.
Now, the Android 7.0 Nougat release date has been confirmed for Q3, 2016. It means that Google will be releasing the final version by September 30, which would most likely happen with the release of the new Nexus smartphones, considering that the new version of Android has always been released alongside new Nexus devices.
Top 15 New features of the Android N:
Refreshed Settings Menu:
Android Nougat version features a redesigned interface of the settings app, with several small improvements, to make the UI faster and easy to use.
Users don’t have to dive into a sub menu, as all entries listed on the main menu come with a subtitle to let you quickly access it. Settings menu still splits into sub-sections like Device, Sound, Notification, and more.
Multi window support:
Google finally brings the multi-window mode to Android with the Android Nougat version. Users can open apps in split-screen mode, as well as in picture-in-picture mode.
Android N API is open for developers to build third party apps. The good part is that this feature is likely to also work for tablets and TVs powered by Android.
Night Mode:
Google Android Nougat version also brings back the Night mode that gives user an option to change the UI settings and switch to dark color during night’s time for better visual experience. The feature went dead with the Marshmallow update.
Emoji coming your way, finally:
Google announced that Android N will support Unicode 9, meaning that it will feature a slew of new emojis. Moreover, there will be 13 new Emoji representing professional women!
Quick Settings changed for good:
The new version of Android features updated quick settings, with a single minimized row of settings icons in the notification slide. And the good part is that you don’t have to pull down the shade twice to access the quick settings, unlike in the Marshmallow.
The default icons in quick settings now include Wi-Fi, mobile data, Do Not Disturb and flashlight.
Recent App UI
The company has also brought about changes in the recent app menu, which now showcases much larger cards of the App running in the background.
It reveals more of the App’s UI, though you will now have to scroll a little more to go to other apps.
Doze mode:
With Android N, Google’s battery saving feature, the Doze mode, becomes even better. The Doze mode is meant as an inbuilt battery saving feature to give the best of the battery life to the user.
Project Svelte
With the Android N, the company is also continuing with Project Svelte, which is mean to make Android OS much more efficient in allocating memory.
With this feature, Android phones will run more smoothly, with background processing being more efficient. It will result in battery saving.
Call Screening
The call screening feature is directly integrated into the phone’s default app, to let the app screen incoming calls.
Users get three options, which can be used to reject the call, make the call not appear in the call log, or chose to not get user notification of the call.
System level number blocking
The Android N will have native support for blocking the unwanted numbers, to automatically reject them useless calls. A user can block numbers to stop getting text or calls from that specific number.
There also is a separate API that will allow third-party apps to use the same blocked list, only if user is willing to give permission.
Always on VPN:
With the Android N, Google lets users to have Always-ON VPN feature that is meant to ensure security of the phone. It is good for more secure Android devices.
Save More Data:
The Android N update helps users save data by controlling background data usage. You can get Data Saver option in the Settings app, to make your smartphone use lesser data.
It can also give information about how much data are the apps using.
Emergency Information feature:
Google Android N brings a feature that give emergency information such as medical details, personal contact info and emergency contact details and more, for any medical or other emergency.
All this information can be accessed by tapping on the “Emergency” button on a locked phone, and then double-tapping the Emergency Info button. Quite a thoughtful feature!
Manage files easily:
Android N now gives easy file management options such as moving a file from one folder to another and renaming a file or folder easily, which is quite useful.
It will make easier for users to access specific file types like Images, Videos or Audio, or Downloads and Documents.
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Change screen zoom levels (DPI)
The new Android N build allows users to change the fonts of messaging, app drawer and settings. One can change size to small, default, Large, Larger and Largest with DPI change.
The feature has now become a system-level feature, and can be accessed from Settings> Display> Display Size.
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