ANDROID 7: NOUGAT REVIEW
Google has officially named the next Android version ahead of its impending release and in keeping with the sweet-treat naming trend, Android N will be known as Nougat. Announcing the name via Twitter, Google is hot off the heels of Marshmallow and Lollipop, with Android 7.0 expected to bring with it plenty of new features and UI changes.
While a firm Android Nougat release date hasn’t been announced, developer previews are doing the rounds in the wild, so we can expect to hear more information soon. Unsurprisingly, Google’s own Nexus range of handsets will be getting the update as soon as it’s publicly available, along with the likes of HTC and Sony phones too. With a launch expected in the next three months or so, it won’t be too long until we get our first chewy bite of Nougat.
We’ve had a hands-on with the developer preview of Android Nougat where you can read our thoughts below and find out how you can get your first taste.
How to try Android N now
Bucking its usual trend, Google has been treating us to Developer Preview versions of its next mobile operating system and following Google I/O you're now able to try out Developer Preview 3, which Google is describing as the first beta-quality candidate.
As such, if you were sat on the fence as to whether or not to try it out on your main phone or tablet, now might be the time to jump in and get among the Beta fun. If you're already on the Beta, an OTA update should be rolling out to get you to the latest version. If you're looking to do a fresh install, instructions are below.
Anyone with a newer pure Google device can start beta testing the Developer Preview version right this moment as part of the Android Beta Program, as well as specific Sony Xperia models. This opens up testing new versions of Android Nougat, and future versions of Android, to everyone and makes installing early versions far simpler than in the past. Before, you had to manually flash Android yourself, which required comparatively more complicated steps.
Now, with the Android Beta Program, upgrading to an early version is no different than upgrading your device to a full release version of Android.
Which devices are eligible?
Currently, the Nexus 6, Nexus 9, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Google Pixel C and Nexus Player are all eligible to enrol in the Android Beta Program. There’s also the General Mobile 4G (Android One), too, although this device isn’t widely available and is geared towards developing nations. Support for the Sony Xperia Z3 (D6603 and D6653 models) has also been added, so it's not just Nexus devices anymore.
How do I join the Android Beta Program?
All you need to do, aside from having one of the above devices, is head over to the Android Beta Program website. You’ll need to sign into your Google account and you’ll see any eligible devices you have associated with your account listed. Simply choose to enrol your device and you’ll soon be offered an Over-the-Air (OTA) Android update. This happened within minutes for me.
Note: Before opting in, make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into. As this is a Beta release, expect plenty of bugs and problems, so you might not want to run this on your main day-to-day device. Going back to a stable release is possible but is not without its consequences, as outlined below. Also, if you rely on apps such as banking apps, upgrading to a Developer Preview is probably not for you as they'll likely stop working.
How do I leave the Android Beta Program?
From the same page, you can choose to unenroll your device. After this, you’ll be offered a stable version of Android relevant for your device as an OTA update. Note, this will wipe all user data, leaving you with a fresh install of Android. Make sure you backup all of your data before doing so.
What’s new in Android N - hands-on with the Developer Preview
Update: New in Developer Preview 3
Seamless updates and smoother app installs
Aping how Google's Chromebooks handles its updates, Developer Preview 3 introduces seamless updates. This means new devices built on Android N will be able to install system updates in the background without disturbing your user experience. After the user then powers up their device, new devices will be able to automatically switch to the newly updated system image. Combined with Android N's new 'Just In Time' (JIT) compiler this should lead to small app sizes, too.
Daydream
Daydream is what Google is calling its new VR platform that's going to be included in Android N. The framework in preparation has already started appearing in DP3 but it will require 'Daydream Ready' hardware. These are smartphones that meet the criteria required for an acceptable user experience and includes having the correct sensors, a fast display and a powerful enough chipset. Smartphone manufacturers including most of the heavy-hitters including Samsung, HTC and LG are expected and will start appearing later in the year. You can read more about what Google Daydream will bring, including new hardware, right here.
Lots and lots of bug fixes
While Google is describing this as the most beta-quality Developer Preview yet, it's still a beta. As such there's still plenty of bugs to be quashed. Thankfully, DP3 has quashed quite a few so you can expect a much more stable experience. A list of all of the fixes can be found here.
Features introduced in Developer Preview 2
New look folders
The first thing you'll notice when you update to the latest Developer Preview is that the folder design has had a complete revamp. Personally, I really like the change. It gives you a better indication of what apps are found within the folder compared to the staggered pile of the old folder design.
New emoji
The human emoji designs have been improved now as well. I was never a fan of Android's standard emoji designs, much preferring those in iOS and found within WhatsApp (easily where I use emoji most often). The new changes are much improved at least.
New Camera app
Technically, the new Google Camera app update is available to everyone as it's rolling out as an update through the Google Play Store, but it's also been bundled in with Developer Preview 2. There has been a few visual design changes to the shutter button and the slow-motion video option is now moved to the slide-in menu.
A particularly useful introduction is the ability to capture still images while recording video. You just need to tap the second shutter button that appears when recording video (you can see it on top of the Stop button in the screenshot above). This saves a separate still image in your video recording resolution to your Gallery.
Vulkan API
One of the biggest performance increases from Android N will come from support for the Vulkan API, which is now supported by Developer Preview 2. Support for the Vulkan API on Android has already started appearing on other Android devices, such as Nvidia's Shield Tablet and Shield Tablet K1, and Samsung's Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge. Essentially, Vulkan API can be thought of as a way for developers to get more efficient access to a device's graphics hardware in the same way that Apple's Metal allows for low-overhead access in iOS and OS X or how DX12 works in Windows.
In the past, OpenGL API was prevalent but it was never well positioned to take advantage of the multicore processors and multithreading of today's devices. The new Vulkan API should lead to much better gaming performance on devices running Android N down the line but developers will need to program their games with the Vulkan API in mind.
Launcher shortcuts
Shortcut options can now be provided from apps on the launcher, giving you access to useful features such as quickly composing a message when selecting the Messenger app or pulling up navigation to your home from Google Maps.
Phandroid notes that the underlying framework could also be in place for Android N to support pressure sensitive screens, much the same way 3D Touch works on iPhones. The developers of Nova Launcher have already been playing with the new API and created a demonstration video of how it works:
Features introduced in Developer Preview 1:
Multi-window Support
So far, this seems to be Android N’s flagship new feature. In truth, it’s not completely new. The likes of Samsung and Acer have long been including their own takes on multitasking with their adaptations of Android, but it’s good to finally see it available as part of stock Android.
The good news is that Google’s implementation is very elegant and works as you would expect.
Now, when you want to open up two apps side-by-side, you can hold the Overview (square button) to activate Multi-window mode with the primary app you want to have open. The screen will split in half, either vertically or horizontally depending on your device’s orientation, and the other half will display the rotating carousel of recent apps you’re already familiar with. You can then select the secondary app you want to use, which will fill the remaining half of the screen.
Alternatively, from the home screen, you can tap the Overview button to bring up the recent apps carousel as usual, then, tap and drag one of the cards over to the edge of the screen to put it into Multi-window mode. You can then populate the other half of the screen with another app as above. The Overview square icon will then morph into a split square so you know Multi-window is active.
By default, the screen is split right down the middle, but with certain apps, you’re able to drag the dividing line across so a side can have two-thirds of the screen instead. Apps, such as Spotify, dynamically change to accommodate the different amount of screen space. Some apps force you to stick with the 1:1 ratio, however. So far in testing, the only app that doesn’t want to play nice with Multi-window mode at all, aside from games, is Instagram, which steadfastly refuses to open in Multi-window.
As this is a Beta version, you get a slightly annoying toast notification appear saying that the app you’re trying to open might not work in split-screen, even when it does, but otherwise, Multi-window performs exactly as you would expect and isn’t dissimilar from Apple’s side-by-side apps in iOS.
If you hit the Home button with Multi-window mode activated, the primary app will slide up but colour the Notification pane so you know it’s still available. If your device is in landscape , you can see the primary app slightly peeking into the screen from the side. Now, when you open up another app, say from the app drawer, it’ll open in the secondary half of the screen. To properly exit out of Multi-window mode you’ll need to hold the Overview button again.
As you would expect, Multi-window works better on larger devices. I’ve been testing on a Nexus 6 and it’s certainly useful but probably not something you’d rely on regularly. Now, the Pixel C, on the other hand, will suddenly become the productivity tool Google likely envisaged.
Notifications and Quick Toggles
Google’s constant tweaking of the notification pane continues unabated. Now the quick toggles slide down with a delightful new animation and a few are pinned to the top of the screen, so you don’t need a double slide down motion to get to them. You can also edit the quick toggles that appear in the secondary menu, which is something I’ve wanted for a while.
In terms of notifications, Google has made it so developers can bundle notifications together, such as for messaging apps. This should help tidy things up considerably. You can now expand bundled notifications with a two-finger swipe or tapping the expand icon. Notifications are also richer in content, providing more detail than before, as well as just having a visual overhaul.
The most useful introduction, however, is direct replies from notifications. Before you could use direct replies for certain notifications from specific apps, such as Hangouts, but now this is seemingly available system-wide.
So far I’ve gotten much enjoyment out of directly replying to WhatsApp messages straight from notifications. A reply option appears below the notification and tapping it turns it into a text field. It’s seamless and well implemented and saves you a whole host of time for quick replies.
Improved Doze
Marshmallow introduced battery efficiencies through the new Doze feature, reducing battery usage when the device was stationary. This meant if you forgot to plug your phone in overnight, you wouldn’t wake up to a depleted battery. In fact, often you would only lose a percentage or two. Now, Doze has been improved further meaning you get reduced battery usage whenever the screen is turned off as well as just stationary. Project Svelte is another way Google is looking to reduce memory usage of apps, which should also help.
So far, with very little time with the new version of Android, it’s hard to tell how much of a difference the new super-charged Doze makes but it, in theory, sounds like a great new introduction. Anything that can help with battery drain is welcome.
Most Recently Used app shortcut
This one's easily missed, but if you double tap the Overview button, you'll be taken back to the last app you used. Another double-tap will take you back to the app you just left. It's like another alternative to Multi-window and perfect for if you need to copy and paste, or reference, between two apps.
Night Mode
Another mode that's easy to miss is the freshly returned Night Mode. This was last seen in the Marshmallow preview but strangely got removed when the stable version was released. We've all read about how the multitude of displays we're putting in front of our faces affect our sleep patterns (or circadian rhythm if you want to get fancy) and this is especially the case when you use a smartphone at night. There's a slightly secret Night Mode built into the Android N Developer Preview. To access it, you'll need to swipe down the notification shade and then long press the Settings shortcut. You'll get a prompt to say you've unlocked the System UI Tuner. This was a hidden menu, much like Developer options in Marshmallow, but previously the settings here were a little sparse.
Now, you can turn on Night Mode that changes the interface to a dark version so you don't have the bright, white Android menus blinding you. You can even set it to turn on automatically based on your location and time, so it turns on at sunset. You can also have Night Mode adjust the screen tint and brightness to more comfortable levels. The tint is particularly useful if you're susceptible to blue light keeping you awake as it adds a much warmer tint to the screen.
General speed improvements and visual tweaks
Whether or not it’s just swifter animation scales or simply a placebo, but Android N feels fast. Running on a Nexus 6, therefore, the oldest device currently eligible for the Beta, performance feels noticeably faster. The recent apps list, which now has full-screen cards representing each background app, scrolls incredibly fast. You can scroll from the bottom of a very heavily populated deck of cards to the top without any stuttering or slowdown.
Even the app drawer, which remains a vertical list, scrolls superbly. Sliding to dismiss notifications from your lock screen also has a delightful new animation as it collapses in on itself and fades out. The Settings menu now has a lot more 'at a glance' information about each setting, meaning you don't have to dive into them to find out how much data has been used or if you have the adaptive brightness turned on or not.
Bugs
This wouldn’t be a Beta if there weren’t bugs. So don’t expect a completely smooth experience. In fairness, it’s been far smoother than I was expecting. A few apps give you run-time errors when they open, but then operate fine. Instagram, again is one of these here. A few games have managed to crash completely, forcing me to power off my Nexus 6 completely. Multi-window has gotten stuck in strange ways, with an app overlayed over the Home screen when it shouldn’t. But these hitches are to be expected.
Source: expert review.co.uk
Google has officially named the next Android version ahead of its impending release and in keeping with the sweet-treat naming trend, Android N will be known as Nougat. Announcing the name via Twitter, Google is hot off the heels of Marshmallow and Lollipop, with Android 7.0 expected to bring with it plenty of new features and UI changes.
While a firm Android Nougat release date hasn’t been announced, developer previews are doing the rounds in the wild, so we can expect to hear more information soon. Unsurprisingly, Google’s own Nexus range of handsets will be getting the update as soon as it’s publicly available, along with the likes of HTC and Sony phones too. With a launch expected in the next three months or so, it won’t be too long until we get our first chewy bite of Nougat.
We’ve had a hands-on with the developer preview of Android Nougat where you can read our thoughts below and find out how you can get your first taste.
How to try Android N now
Bucking its usual trend, Google has been treating us to Developer Preview versions of its next mobile operating system and following Google I/O you're now able to try out Developer Preview 3, which Google is describing as the first beta-quality candidate.
As such, if you were sat on the fence as to whether or not to try it out on your main phone or tablet, now might be the time to jump in and get among the Beta fun. If you're already on the Beta, an OTA update should be rolling out to get you to the latest version. If you're looking to do a fresh install, instructions are below.
Anyone with a newer pure Google device can start beta testing the Developer Preview version right this moment as part of the Android Beta Program, as well as specific Sony Xperia models. This opens up testing new versions of Android Nougat, and future versions of Android, to everyone and makes installing early versions far simpler than in the past. Before, you had to manually flash Android yourself, which required comparatively more complicated steps.
Now, with the Android Beta Program, upgrading to an early version is no different than upgrading your device to a full release version of Android.
Which devices are eligible?
Currently, the Nexus 6, Nexus 9, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Google Pixel C and Nexus Player are all eligible to enrol in the Android Beta Program. There’s also the General Mobile 4G (Android One), too, although this device isn’t widely available and is geared towards developing nations. Support for the Sony Xperia Z3 (D6603 and D6653 models) has also been added, so it's not just Nexus devices anymore.
How do I join the Android Beta Program?
All you need to do, aside from having one of the above devices, is head over to the Android Beta Program website. You’ll need to sign into your Google account and you’ll see any eligible devices you have associated with your account listed. Simply choose to enrol your device and you’ll soon be offered an Over-the-Air (OTA) Android update. This happened within minutes for me.
Note: Before opting in, make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into. As this is a Beta release, expect plenty of bugs and problems, so you might not want to run this on your main day-to-day device. Going back to a stable release is possible but is not without its consequences, as outlined below. Also, if you rely on apps such as banking apps, upgrading to a Developer Preview is probably not for you as they'll likely stop working.
How do I leave the Android Beta Program?
From the same page, you can choose to unenroll your device. After this, you’ll be offered a stable version of Android relevant for your device as an OTA update. Note, this will wipe all user data, leaving you with a fresh install of Android. Make sure you backup all of your data before doing so.
What’s new in Android N - hands-on with the Developer Preview
Update: New in Developer Preview 3
Seamless updates and smoother app installs
Aping how Google's Chromebooks handles its updates, Developer Preview 3 introduces seamless updates. This means new devices built on Android N will be able to install system updates in the background without disturbing your user experience. After the user then powers up their device, new devices will be able to automatically switch to the newly updated system image. Combined with Android N's new 'Just In Time' (JIT) compiler this should lead to small app sizes, too.
Daydream
Daydream is what Google is calling its new VR platform that's going to be included in Android N. The framework in preparation has already started appearing in DP3 but it will require 'Daydream Ready' hardware. These are smartphones that meet the criteria required for an acceptable user experience and includes having the correct sensors, a fast display and a powerful enough chipset. Smartphone manufacturers including most of the heavy-hitters including Samsung, HTC and LG are expected and will start appearing later in the year. You can read more about what Google Daydream will bring, including new hardware, right here.
Lots and lots of bug fixes
While Google is describing this as the most beta-quality Developer Preview yet, it's still a beta. As such there's still plenty of bugs to be quashed. Thankfully, DP3 has quashed quite a few so you can expect a much more stable experience. A list of all of the fixes can be found here.
Features introduced in Developer Preview 2
New look folders
The first thing you'll notice when you update to the latest Developer Preview is that the folder design has had a complete revamp. Personally, I really like the change. It gives you a better indication of what apps are found within the folder compared to the staggered pile of the old folder design.
New emoji
The human emoji designs have been improved now as well. I was never a fan of Android's standard emoji designs, much preferring those in iOS and found within WhatsApp (easily where I use emoji most often). The new changes are much improved at least.
New Camera app
Technically, the new Google Camera app update is available to everyone as it's rolling out as an update through the Google Play Store, but it's also been bundled in with Developer Preview 2. There has been a few visual design changes to the shutter button and the slow-motion video option is now moved to the slide-in menu.
A particularly useful introduction is the ability to capture still images while recording video. You just need to tap the second shutter button that appears when recording video (you can see it on top of the Stop button in the screenshot above). This saves a separate still image in your video recording resolution to your Gallery.
Vulkan API
One of the biggest performance increases from Android N will come from support for the Vulkan API, which is now supported by Developer Preview 2. Support for the Vulkan API on Android has already started appearing on other Android devices, such as Nvidia's Shield Tablet and Shield Tablet K1, and Samsung's Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge. Essentially, Vulkan API can be thought of as a way for developers to get more efficient access to a device's graphics hardware in the same way that Apple's Metal allows for low-overhead access in iOS and OS X or how DX12 works in Windows.
In the past, OpenGL API was prevalent but it was never well positioned to take advantage of the multicore processors and multithreading of today's devices. The new Vulkan API should lead to much better gaming performance on devices running Android N down the line but developers will need to program their games with the Vulkan API in mind.
Launcher shortcuts
Shortcut options can now be provided from apps on the launcher, giving you access to useful features such as quickly composing a message when selecting the Messenger app or pulling up navigation to your home from Google Maps.
Phandroid notes that the underlying framework could also be in place for Android N to support pressure sensitive screens, much the same way 3D Touch works on iPhones. The developers of Nova Launcher have already been playing with the new API and created a demonstration video of how it works:
Features introduced in Developer Preview 1:
Multi-window Support
So far, this seems to be Android N’s flagship new feature. In truth, it’s not completely new. The likes of Samsung and Acer have long been including their own takes on multitasking with their adaptations of Android, but it’s good to finally see it available as part of stock Android.
The good news is that Google’s implementation is very elegant and works as you would expect.
Now, when you want to open up two apps side-by-side, you can hold the Overview (square button) to activate Multi-window mode with the primary app you want to have open. The screen will split in half, either vertically or horizontally depending on your device’s orientation, and the other half will display the rotating carousel of recent apps you’re already familiar with. You can then select the secondary app you want to use, which will fill the remaining half of the screen.
Alternatively, from the home screen, you can tap the Overview button to bring up the recent apps carousel as usual, then, tap and drag one of the cards over to the edge of the screen to put it into Multi-window mode. You can then populate the other half of the screen with another app as above. The Overview square icon will then morph into a split square so you know Multi-window is active.
By default, the screen is split right down the middle, but with certain apps, you’re able to drag the dividing line across so a side can have two-thirds of the screen instead. Apps, such as Spotify, dynamically change to accommodate the different amount of screen space. Some apps force you to stick with the 1:1 ratio, however. So far in testing, the only app that doesn’t want to play nice with Multi-window mode at all, aside from games, is Instagram, which steadfastly refuses to open in Multi-window.
As this is a Beta version, you get a slightly annoying toast notification appear saying that the app you’re trying to open might not work in split-screen, even when it does, but otherwise, Multi-window performs exactly as you would expect and isn’t dissimilar from Apple’s side-by-side apps in iOS.
If you hit the Home button with Multi-window mode activated, the primary app will slide up but colour the Notification pane so you know it’s still available. If your device is in landscape , you can see the primary app slightly peeking into the screen from the side. Now, when you open up another app, say from the app drawer, it’ll open in the secondary half of the screen. To properly exit out of Multi-window mode you’ll need to hold the Overview button again.
As you would expect, Multi-window works better on larger devices. I’ve been testing on a Nexus 6 and it’s certainly useful but probably not something you’d rely on regularly. Now, the Pixel C, on the other hand, will suddenly become the productivity tool Google likely envisaged.
Notifications and Quick Toggles
Google’s constant tweaking of the notification pane continues unabated. Now the quick toggles slide down with a delightful new animation and a few are pinned to the top of the screen, so you don’t need a double slide down motion to get to them. You can also edit the quick toggles that appear in the secondary menu, which is something I’ve wanted for a while.
In terms of notifications, Google has made it so developers can bundle notifications together, such as for messaging apps. This should help tidy things up considerably. You can now expand bundled notifications with a two-finger swipe or tapping the expand icon. Notifications are also richer in content, providing more detail than before, as well as just having a visual overhaul.
The most useful introduction, however, is direct replies from notifications. Before you could use direct replies for certain notifications from specific apps, such as Hangouts, but now this is seemingly available system-wide.
So far I’ve gotten much enjoyment out of directly replying to WhatsApp messages straight from notifications. A reply option appears below the notification and tapping it turns it into a text field. It’s seamless and well implemented and saves you a whole host of time for quick replies.
Improved Doze
Marshmallow introduced battery efficiencies through the new Doze feature, reducing battery usage when the device was stationary. This meant if you forgot to plug your phone in overnight, you wouldn’t wake up to a depleted battery. In fact, often you would only lose a percentage or two. Now, Doze has been improved further meaning you get reduced battery usage whenever the screen is turned off as well as just stationary. Project Svelte is another way Google is looking to reduce memory usage of apps, which should also help.
So far, with very little time with the new version of Android, it’s hard to tell how much of a difference the new super-charged Doze makes but it, in theory, sounds like a great new introduction. Anything that can help with battery drain is welcome.
Most Recently Used app shortcut
This one's easily missed, but if you double tap the Overview button, you'll be taken back to the last app you used. Another double-tap will take you back to the app you just left. It's like another alternative to Multi-window and perfect for if you need to copy and paste, or reference, between two apps.
Night Mode
Another mode that's easy to miss is the freshly returned Night Mode. This was last seen in the Marshmallow preview but strangely got removed when the stable version was released. We've all read about how the multitude of displays we're putting in front of our faces affect our sleep patterns (or circadian rhythm if you want to get fancy) and this is especially the case when you use a smartphone at night. There's a slightly secret Night Mode built into the Android N Developer Preview. To access it, you'll need to swipe down the notification shade and then long press the Settings shortcut. You'll get a prompt to say you've unlocked the System UI Tuner. This was a hidden menu, much like Developer options in Marshmallow, but previously the settings here were a little sparse.
Now, you can turn on Night Mode that changes the interface to a dark version so you don't have the bright, white Android menus blinding you. You can even set it to turn on automatically based on your location and time, so it turns on at sunset. You can also have Night Mode adjust the screen tint and brightness to more comfortable levels. The tint is particularly useful if you're susceptible to blue light keeping you awake as it adds a much warmer tint to the screen.
General speed improvements and visual tweaks
Whether or not it’s just swifter animation scales or simply a placebo, but Android N feels fast. Running on a Nexus 6, therefore, the oldest device currently eligible for the Beta, performance feels noticeably faster. The recent apps list, which now has full-screen cards representing each background app, scrolls incredibly fast. You can scroll from the bottom of a very heavily populated deck of cards to the top without any stuttering or slowdown.
Even the app drawer, which remains a vertical list, scrolls superbly. Sliding to dismiss notifications from your lock screen also has a delightful new animation as it collapses in on itself and fades out. The Settings menu now has a lot more 'at a glance' information about each setting, meaning you don't have to dive into them to find out how much data has been used or if you have the adaptive brightness turned on or not.
Bugs
This wouldn’t be a Beta if there weren’t bugs. So don’t expect a completely smooth experience. In fairness, it’s been far smoother than I was expecting. A few apps give you run-time errors when they open, but then operate fine. Instagram, again is one of these here. A few games have managed to crash completely, forcing me to power off my Nexus 6 completely. Multi-window has gotten stuck in strange ways, with an app overlayed over the Home screen when it shouldn’t. But these hitches are to be expected.
Source: expert review.co.uk
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