Android 7.0 Nougat: Explained

Android N Release Date: Android 7.0 Nougat Is Full Name For Upcoming OS

After months of teasing, we now have the final name for the next official release of Android – version 7.0 aka, Nougat. Here’s when and how you can get it.

Yesterday Google finally unveiled the dessert name for the next iteration of its mobile operating system: Nougat. So what we’ve so far known only as “Android N” will be called Android Nougat when it launches later this summer.

But what about its version number? Android Marshmallow is 6.0, so Nougat clearly has to be either 6.1 or 7.0, right? Well, it turns out it’s the latter.

Embedded above is the official video that details the unveiling of the Nougat statue at Google’s HQ in Mountain View, California. And as you can see, at the end the version number is clearly stated – as it is in the video description over on YouTube.

So Android 7.0 Nougat it is then.

Android N, according to Google, will ship with 250 plus new features over Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Some of these include Split-screen view or Multi-Window support – that would make life a whole lot easier for Pixel C user – Vulcan API for an even more immersive gaming experience, an improved notifications panel and an even more battery-efficient Doze. Moreover, Android N will give introduce a feature called Daydream, which will allow OEMs to build VR-ready phones.

Google will launch Android 7.0 sometime later this summer alongside its next badge of Nexus phones, expected to be built by HTC. Meanwhile, the current crop of Nexus phones – Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P – are in all probability going to be the first phones to get the new update as and when Google officially out it.

Android 7.0 Nougat rollout confirmed for these HTC smartphones

HTC via its Twitter account posted an image showing the three handsets that would be receiving the Android 7.0 Nougat update. The handsets that will be getting the update are HTC 10, HTC One A9, and HTC One M9.
“So sweet. Android Nougat—the next version of Google’s Android—will be coming to the HTC 10, HTC One A9 & HTC One M9,” the post said.

These three smartphones in the first round of Android 7.0 Nougat update was expected, given that they are the company’s most recent flagship handsets. While the HTC One M9 was launched with Android 5.1 Lollipop and later got Android 6.0 Marshmallow update, the HTC One A9 and HTC 10 came with Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box.

For those unaware, HTC is also being rumoured to work with Google once again to launch two Nexus-branded smartphones later this year. The smartphones are likely to sport Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box. The Android 7.0 Nougat will also be reaching Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6, Nexus 9, Nexus Player, and Pixel C tablet.

As for 7.0, that is pretty straightforward. Often jumping up to a new number indicates Google has included many major systems. In recent years, Google has gone from Android 5.0 to 6.0 and now to 7.0 and all of these systems have included major overhauls to the Android system. Prior to that Android was stuck at version 4 From “Ice Cream Sandwich” to “Jelly Bean” to “KitKat,” and had pretty minor, incremental upgrades.

New and updated features for Android 7.0 Nougat include an emoji overhaul in accordance with Unicode 9, Java 8 support, multi-window, direct reply notifications, bundled notifications and enhancements to Doze mode.

Currently there is no word on just when Android 7.0 Nougat will release, but Google says users should expect official software before the end of summer.

The Android N developer previews have been doing the rounds for some time now and those with a Google Nexus 5X or 6P have been able to trial the beta software ahead of its official release. But when will the full-fat version of Nougat be hitting your Android phone?

When will my phone update to Android 7.0?

With Google shuffling the order of things around this year, we still don’t have a concrete date for when Android 7.0 will finally launch as a finished build of Android, but it’ll likely coincide with the unveiling of the company’s next Nexus smartphones, rumoured to be made by HTC, codenamed ‘Marlin’ and ‘Sailfish’.

Last year, Android 6.0 Marshmallow launched alongside the LG-made Nexus 5X and Huawei-made Nexus 6P in late September, so until we receive an invite to a launch event dated any sooner, we’re going to presume that Nougat will arrive at around the same time this year.

As for phone beyond the Nexus devices, there are a couple of key factors to consider. Firstly the latest version of Android needs to be supported by your phone’s manufacturer. Companies like Samsung are usually pretty good at updating their most popular and powerful handsets to the next version of Android first, although some phone makers, such as Sony can sometimes take a little longer to roll out the necessary updates.

Provided an update to Android 7.0 has been confirmed the only other barrier to getting ahold of it will be your carrier. If you buy a carrier-locked device from the likes of EE, Vodafone or O2 for example, you might have to wait for their specific build of the Nougat update for your phone. These updates take a little longer to roll out as they have to support carrier-specific features like WiFi calling and VoLTE.

How can I update my phone to Android 7.0 Nougat?

Nearly every modern Android phone can thankfully receive updates OTA (over the air), so you no longer have to plug your phone into your computer and transfer the update files as the case used to be.