After a long period of speculations, Google finally revealed the name of their next operating system: Android 7.0 Nougat. Yes, we know, everybody was hoping for Nutella, but the Mountain View-based company went for a more general approach, instead of another joint-venture, like they did with KitKat.
Of course, we must admit that we were surprised after the version number was announced. 7.0 wasn’t something we were looking forward to, as 6.x was making more sense. But hey, you can’t argue with the Big G!
When Google announced the update, it also revealed a roadmap which was pointing to at least five developer previews. However, it’s obvious that everybody wants to get the full version. Multiple sources are pointing to an August release, as well as September. Considering that Google said that Android 7.0 Nougat will be available later this summer, our money is on August. But until then, let’s see what major updates we should expect from the new dessert.
Direct Reply Notifications
Several users will find this new feature useful, as they won’t have to navigate away from their current window just to answer a message, the feature allowing them to reply within the notification, from the top of the screen. After all, this worked very well in iOS 8, under the name of Quick Reply. Only if Apple would have thought of expanding its functionality for more apps, not just iMessage…
Bundled Notifications Direct Reply isn’t the only notification update Android 7.0 Nougat brings. If you happen to get multiple notifications from the same app, they will be grouped together and you will be able to expand them into individual notifications.
Clear All and Quick Switch
Users asked Google for a Clear All button, so they can close all apps that are running in the background with a single tap. And, of course, Google delivered. Yes, manufacturers added this feature in their customized Android versions, but the stock one was still lacking it until now. Besides this, there’s also Quick Switch, a feature that lets you get back to the previous app you were using through a double tap of the recent multi-tasking button in the navigation bar.
Support for Vulkan API
This one will bring a big smile to mobile gaming fans’ faces. Thanks to Vulkan API, the quality of gaming, VR and other apps that require a lot of graphic processing power will increase significantly. The API comes as a replacement for OpenGL and will make cross-platform game development way easier.
Daydream VR
There’s no doubt that virtual reality is one of the hottest trends of the year when it comes to technology, so Google is using Android Nougat as a platform where they can showcase their VR plans.
Daydream is a set of VR headset and controller hardware standards, which, paired with the Android Nougat-based UI, will allow users to experience VR much easier and smoother. Yes, they will be compatible just with brand new smartphones, like the upcoming 2016 Nexus handset, but expect an amazing experience!
Allo
It’s funny that what can be considered Android 7.0 Nougat’s most interesting feature is a standalone App. Allo is a new messaging app that incorporates Google’s search and machine-learning technology, so you can make searches (and much more) from within conversations.
Allo can also suggest replies to messages, as it’s able to predict them using words and pictures from your conversation. Pretty neat, huh? Finally, if you are worried about information you share reaching unwanted destinations, you can use Incognito Chat, which activates end-to-end encryption for your messages or even set them to expire after some time, like on Snapchat.
And there you have it, guys. These are the most interesting features of the upcoming operating system, Android 7.0 Nougat. We’re convinced that Google will reveal much more interesting aspects during the launch event, but until then, we want to know what you think about these. Which one of these features is your favorite? Let us know, using the comments section below!