Android 7: release date, news and rumors
Update: The Android N release date is likely to be several months from now, but the first several features of the mobile operating system update are here today. Here’s what we know.
All of the algorithmic geniuses at Google are busy working on Android 7 right now, and they’re temporarily calling it “Android N” and showing off a handful of new features for 2016.
It’s a super early alpha build, and that’s no surprise considering it feels like Android 6.0 Marshmallow just launched with the Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X in November.
The shocker is that the company isn’t announcing Android N at its Google IO 2016 conference in May. The reason behind this is to give developers more time to tinker with the update, according to Google.
That’s fantastic news for anyone who is brave enough to update their phone, tablet or streaming box with the unfinished build. We did just that to tell the rest of you what’s inside.
Multi-window support
True multitasking support is finally arriving, and it’s deservedly the highlight of with Android N. You’re going to be able to open up two apps at once on your Nexus phone or tablet.
It’s a popular feature Samsung and LG phones have incorporated into their Android skins years ago, so it’s nice (and about time) Google is including the same functionality in its own software.
Working in two apps at once and being able to resize the windows sounds on-the-fly is coupled with the ability to view videos in a picture-in-picture mode. YouTube isn’t a waste of time if you’re working, right?
Multi-window support could increase enterprise interest in Android tablets and the Pixel C. It’s a bet that Apple recently made when it launched a similar split-screen and picture-in-picture features for iOS 9.
Original article…
What isn’t clear about Android 7.0 is what it’s actually going to do for the world’s most used mobile operating system. It might not even be version 7.0 of the software – let’s not forget Google’s dabble with the number four with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, 4.1/2/3 Jelly Bean and 4.4 KitKat.
It has reverted back to type with 5.0 Lollipop and 6.0 Marshmallow, but Google always has the option to chuck in a curve ball once in a while.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? The next version of Google’s mobile OS, Android 7.
- When is it out? Likely reveal in May, but won’t launch until October*
- What will it cost? Free
*when – and if – you get it depends on what phone/tablet you own though
Android 7 release date
There’s no official word on when Android N will be launching, so all we have is Google’s previous software activities.
Google officially announced Android Marshmallow at Google IO 2015 at the end of May last year – and going by the search giant’s track record the sensible money is on Android 7.0 showing up at Google IO 2016. That takes place May 18-20 2016.
Thing is, there tends to be several months inbetween the announcement and the new version of Android actually rolling out. That means it’s unlikely to arrive on devices before October – and even then it’ll probably only be the Nexus branded phones and tablets which get it.
For most, you’ll have to wait until your manufacturer and/or carrier sorts out their own version of the update and pushes it out – and that can take months.
What phones will get Android 7?
If you’ve got a recent flagship phone, you should be in luck. Most manufacturers try and push the software to phones and tablets that are less than two years old, but it may be quite a wait.
Each manufacturer can take time to tweak the updates. Take Android Marshmallow for example, some phones still don’t have the update even though it’s been out for nearly three whole months now.
If you want the latest software, it’s best to get a Nexus device as the newest version of Android will always be pushed to that first.
Android 7 news and rumors
Little is known about the Android N update so far. The only feature we know to be confirmed is split-screen multitasking support for tablets.
During a Reddit AMA on the Pixel C, Glen Murphy, director of Android and Chrome UX, confirmed that split-screen multitasking support is incoming. “We’re working hard on a range of enhancements for Android in this form factor,” he said.
Consumer hardware director at Google, Andrew Bowers, added: “We’re working on lots of things right now for N that, of course, we wish we had, you know, yesterday. But we’d spoil the surprise of N if we shared all of them. Split screen is in the works!”
Android Police also saw an early version of the Android N software that showed off a few changes including new notifications that take up the whole of the screen and come with three lines of text rather than just two.
There’s also a new Quick Settings line on the menu, which gives you easier access to the features such as Airplane Mode, battery saving mode and the torch on the back of your phone. Plus it looks like in Android 7 you’ll be able to create two pages of Quick Settings, so you can put lesser-used options onto a separate page.
Things may change before the actual release though, and the screenshots above are made by Android Police as they didn’t have access to official screenshots.
Apart from that, little is known about the Android 7 update. We’re deep trying to find out new details and we’ll share here when we know something new.
Android 7: what we want to see
As we’re feeling generous, here at techradar we got together to think of what we’d like to see the new software do. Here’s everything we would like to see come to Google’s OS in Android 7.
1. No more bloatware
Google has recently announced a change within the Android rule book. It means phone makers don’t have to include all the G branded apps as standard. Google Play Games, Google Play Books, Google+ and Google Newsstand now don’t need to be included on every phone you use.
Android N would be the perfect time to drop a few of the other less useful apps that Google doesn’t need to force on its owners. Do we all need Google Play Music waiting for us?
2. Faster updates
This is a hard one for Google, but when you look at how Android 6.0 Marshmallow has struggled to get onto phones it would be a worthwhile step. Google needs to streamline the process of getting the latest software onto Android devices.
How it does that, we’re not all that clear – but there must be a way it can make the process slightly simpler for OEM’s to take the latest software and squeeze it onto devices.
3. Real multi-tasking
This is one we’ve heard word of from Google already – but there’s no guarantee from the company that it’ll be launching on the next version of the software.
We’d like to see it come through as soon as possible though as putting this onto the Google Pixel C and upcoming tablets will make productivity tasks a lot easier.
4. Battery improvements
Android 6.0 Marshmallow had a big focus on improving the battery life of your phone with Doze, but the work isn’t done yet. We’d like to see that continue onto the next version of the software.
Google should be working on battery life until it gets to a standard where we can use our phones without having to worry about them dying after a day. Improvements to how the software runs should help the battery life and we’d love to see that come again in Android N.
5. Android Pay improvements
Android Pay is here now, but it’s not the best it can be yet. It’s not all over the world and we’d like to see Android N push the software to new markets. If you could use your phone to pay anywhere around the world, that’d be great.
Plus throwing in all your loyalty cards in a similar way to Apple’s Wallet would be a great step so we can really leave everything else at home.
6. Battery percentage
Surprisingly, you still can’t show off your battery percentage in the notification bar when using stock Android. If you’re able to do so on your phone, it’s just because the manufacturer has seen fit to add it in.
Pretty much all of them have now as well, so we’d like to see Android actually take on the feature itself. And this would be simple for Google to do.
7. A solid name
We want the sweet stuff – Android N needs a good name to make us excited every time it pops up in the over-the-air update box. Seeing something like Android Nutella pop up instead of the boring Android 7 title is always a good giggle.
Source: techradar.com
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We have choice, such as Google's Drive, which is integrated, as well as DropBox, Microsoft's OneDrive, and more. You just have the pathetically small iCloud…. which easily gets hacked.
Guess you like the Wi-Fi problems iOS has, the pathetic 16GB models that Apple still sells for some reason, and the fact that iOS is known for having Safari crashes, restart problems, and how the OS doesn't allow you to customize the "springboard" or whatever they call that crappy whack-a-mole app launching system. I can put an icon on the bottom right without filling out every other spot first…. can you? Oh right, you can't.
Except you can't use the stuff you pay for, such as NFC chips. You're only allowed to use it for Apple Pay. I can use my BlackBerry Passport's or Priv's NFC chip, on both BB10 OS and Android. I think we know how you DON'T get what you pay for on iOS in terms of how locked the hardware is.
I know I get better value using Apple along with with better support than with anything with Android (except maybe stock but that's still Android), who are Blackberry? Oh that company the used to be all the rage before it was crushed by the iPhone. Blackberry sucks now and nobody cares about thr Blackberry Priv. Apple is worth maybe 30 times what Blackberry is worth, keep your crapberry to yourself, I'm using a real phone while you're using a rehash of an ancient phone. No go and kill yourselve along with your crapberry. Idiot!
Better value? HA!!!! How much does it take to build an iPhone? $242.50 USD, about for the 6 Plus. Remind me again, how much they charge. Oh yeah, $700 or more.
I don't care what your idiotic fanboy mind thinks about the phones that real professionals, high-discretion employees, government workers across the globe, and security minded people actually use.
A real phone? How? You can't even find out how many times Facebook probes your location. You can't have a unified inbox for your messages. I bet you can't type faster than 20 WPM on the software keyboard. You can't use NFC tags. You can't even tap-to-pair with bluetooth devices. Oh yeah, you don't have a physical keyboard. Finally, the iPhone is a child's toy. Go back to your mom and dad's basement and never come back out. I'm going to flag your comment for what it's worth due to your pathetic attempt to say "kill yourself" to me, because it's the most childish thing I've read on a disqus page.
You're a fool if you think any Blackberry phone is better than an iPhone, Blackberry is nowhere near the iPhone never mind the Priv, I wouldn't touch anything Blackberry, in fact the olnly Android phone I'd ever consider is a nexus, the rest of Android is trash, but even that would play second fiddle to iPhone for me which is and always will be my favourite phone and the same with iOS remaining my favourite OS. Safari slow? You must be using an old iPhone 3G, safari is way more fluid than Chrome especially on this site where the comments section on here don't always load on chrome and when they do they are extremely slow, while Safari loads the comments section EVERY TIME. Chrome is still pathetic even with Marshmallow. You're clearly a delusional fanboy. Oh and with safari, I've only had to hit reload just twice since I've had my 5c, while with chrome I can't count the number of times I've had to hit reload.
Right, because I'd TOTALLY use the ONE company that rips off Apple lol!!!!! That's such a joke! Don't flatter yourself, and your crappy company called Apple. I use a BlackBerry. You know, a real phone. Running Android, with a physical keyboard.
I'm not going to move on from a security breach like that. It's unacceptable, and won't ever be acceptable. You're an Apple apologist, so you're not worth talking to.
You'll be much better of coming to iOS and iPhone, Google has lost control of Android that is clear for all to see.
To how many people?
For the record, no app I have ever loaded "tried to [take] over [my] phone." Can you explain what you mean? Also, have you ever owned an Android phone and seen this behavior first hand, or are you regurgitating what you read on [insert random website here]? I'm not trying to be a jerk, here, I sincerely would like to know these answers.
Can we have the moderators remove this post? Threatening bodily harm is one thing, but the K word is altogether different.
For the record, if you haven't used an alternative, what you have isn't your "favorite" but your "only option."
Right. Do you know how many times on my iPad that I have to hit the "reload" button vs how few I've had to on my BlackBerry Priv or my Samsung Chromebook? It's about a 10:1 ratio. That's how slow and encumbered that Safari is. Chrome, by comparison is quick and easy to use. Safari is featureless, slow and cumbersome. How quaint that you think that's good. How quaint indeed lol. My Priv is a far better phone than ANY iPhone ever made. Even though I'm using an Snapdragon 808, and not an 810 or 820. What does that say about iOS? It's awful and encumbers the performance of the device.
And they have moved on from it and so should you.
I too use my stock Samsung browser. It works pretty darned well and has a fairly clean interface.
You do realize that my absolute favorite browser isnt Chrome, and that me being a "fanboy" isn't nearly the delusion that you being one is. BlackBerry has its problems. Android has its problems. BlackBerry 10 had lots of problems. iOS has a lot more than any of those three combined. Just FYI, my favorite browser is Opera, and it's faster than both Chrome and Safari, but Chrome is a close second. Safari is behind the likes of Firefox, which I abhor, and old versions of NETSCAPE.
You feel safer without options? That's sad. You can't change the way the os behaves, and that's really sad. No one says you have to, but at least I can put an icon where I want one, not where I'm told I have to.
"NFC was useless until Apple Pay." I used my NFC to pay for McDonald's in backwoods nowhere Tennessee in 2012 on my Galaxy S3. The 16 year old yokel'e eyes git huge and he asked me "Is that the new iPhone?" Guess what I got to tell him… So, by useless, you mean "not?"
That's only happened once you plonker.
This is the only area i prefer Apple, once a firmware update has been released everyone gets it, with android it takes nearly 2 years for everyone to get, i bet i get it on my Z3 a month before 7.0 comes out and then ill get that in 2019. not good sony, not good samsung, not good htc and the rest of you.
If you can't move on from this then that's your problem I'm proud to be #teamapple because everything 'just works' better, you're an Android fanboy, like I care less if you talk to me or not. Stick your Android or samsung or whatever Lagdroid you use where the sun don't shine. Moron!
I'm fine with how iOS is as I'm not bothered about customisation and it good because on Android so apps completely change the UI and even your dialler and I don't like that so I'm all for iOS being locked, I feel safer with and I know I'm getting fantastic value with iPhone, football manager runs really well on my 5c compared to my old nexus 6 which matches would take nearly 20 minutes to finish. Basically my 5c puts my old nexus 6 to shame. Thanks to Apple's fantastic optimisation of iOS. NFC was useless until Apple Pay.
You feel a lot safer because you can't customize the home screen to be more comfortable? That's sad.
Exactly it's my choice, on Android a lot of apps try and tar over your phone, and with iOS locked down there is no danger of that happening and I feel a lot safer because of it, I don't give a monkeys about customisation beyond changing my wallpaper and arranging my apps in to folders. It's the same with most iPhone users too it's called choice and opinion.