It’s time to unwrap that sugary goodness once again, Google has just moved Nougat from its Beta status and it will begin hitting Nexus devices from today.
In their blog post announcing the move to release the OS Google advised that the Nexus 6, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus 9, Nexus Player, the Pixel C and a solitary Android One phone would begin receiving an Over The Air update to Nougat in the coming weeks. This update will also hit Nexus devices enrolled in the Beta program, moving them to an official release build of Nougat with no extra hassle.
There’s obviously a lot of new features in Nougat, we’ve been seeing them since they launched the Beta of the OS back in March, Google has listed the updates included in Nougat:
Expanded emoji: There are now over 1,500 different emoji built into Android, including 72 new ones, so go ahead: express yourself.
Quick Settings controls: Quick Settings gives you easy access to things like bluetooth, WiFi and the all-important flashlight. With Android Nougat, you can actually control what tiles go where, and move ‘em around to fit your needs.
Multi-locale support: Apps can tailor their content based on your locale settings. So if you speak multiple languages, for instance, then search engines can show results in each of those languages.
Multi-window: Run two apps side-by-side. The windows are resizable, too, by simply dragging the divider.
Direct Reply: Reply directly to notifications without having to open any app.
Quick Switch: Switch between your two most recently used apps by simply double tapping the Overview button.
Seamless updates: New Android devices with Nougat can install software updates in the background which means you won’t have to wait while your device installs the update and optimizes all your apps for the new version. And for current Nexus users, software updates now install much faster, so you won’t have to wait for minutes while your device reboots.
File-based encryption: Android Nougat can better isolate and protect files for individual users on your device.
Direct Boot: Direct Boot helps your device startup faster, and apps run securely even before you unlock your device when your device reboots.
The final updates to Nougat are being pushed to AOSP now, and we’re expecting to see Factory Images and OTA files hit the Nexus devices page soon. OTA’s may take a few weeks to arrive, especially if you purchased your Nexus through a carrier. We’ve already seen that Optus, Vodafone and Virgin Mobile are testing the update, and Google advises ‘some carriers will receive the update later than others’.
Hold tight, if you own a Nexus 6, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus 9, Nexus Player, the Pixel C or a General Mobile 4G (Android One) device you should be chewing on Nougat soon.
