It is becoming difficult to keep up with the new versions that Google rolls out for its Android operating system. Only a minority of us users have updated to the current version —6.0, codenamed Marshmallow. That is because many handsets don’t upgrade automatically and phone makers generally develop amnesia about customers once they have made the sale. Now Google has announced that the next release of Android version 7.0 will be out soon — and will be called Nougat, the stuff of chocolate bars, continuing the tradition of alphabetically naming them after confectionary — a small disappointment for lakhs of Indians world-wide, who lobbied to have it called Neyyappam after the South Indian sweet.
Android Nougat, currently in developer preview status, is the 12th release of Android (but only the 7th version) since 2009. So, what’s new in version 7.0? Nougat introduces a split-screen multi-window mode, in which two apps can be pinned to occupy halves of the screen. Like Google’s Chrome OS for desktops, Android now introduces seamless updates. Software updates will automatically install in the background and run with only a reboot. This is made possible by the introduction of two system partitions, one for main use and the other just for updates. Perhaps most usefully, Nougat will be the OS where Google fully supports virtual reality devices like headsets. It will include Daydream, a set of VR headset and controller hardware standards.
Cost-conscious Indians will appreciate the new “Data Saver” mode which restricts background mobile data usage. It does this by reducing bandwidth usage, by dynamically capping the quality of streaming media — that means HD downloads only on demand. Youngsters will like the new set of human emoji also included in this version, with support for realistic skin tones. Android Nougat will be released to the public later this year, but don’t expect phone makers to port it on new handsets till early 2017.
