Google announced today that Android N, the next version of Google’s mobile operating system, will be called Android Nougat. The search giant made the announcement on Snapchat today.
Source: PixabayAndroid N for Nougat
Google names each new version of its Android operating system after a favorite dessert, following the letters of the alphabet. It began taking suggestions for what sweet treat Android N should be named for last month during its I/O developer conference. The previous version was Android Marshmallow, and the year before that was Lollipop. Nougat is expected to be released later this summer.
Introducing #AndroidNougat. Thank you, world, for all your sweet name ideas! #AndroidNReveal pic.twitter.com/7lIfDBwyBE
— Android (@Android) June 30, 2016
According to The Verge, the next version of Android is currently on its second beta version and is now mostly stable. It brings improvements such as a better notification shade and new features like split-screen multi-tasking capabilities. Google is also improving its Doze feature, which as introduced with Android Marshmallow last year. Nougat will also have a feature called Daydream, which is Google’s virtual reality platform, integrated right into it, although only phones that have support for Daydream will support the feature.
Nougat will also enable Android devices to respond when being picked up by switching on a simplified high contrast view. However, pressing or swiping is still needed in order to fully wake up the operating system. The next version of Android will also bring updates to Night Mode in terms of a new feature palette and extra color options.
Some have noted some similarities between Android Nougat and iOS 9.
Why announce Android Nougat on Snapchat?
Google’s decision to announce the Nougat name on Snapchat is certainly a sign of the times. It’s particularly interesting in light of the fact that messages posted on the platform only stay up for 24 hours, notes The Next Web. However, Snapchat is bigger than Twitter already and still growing fast, and Google didn’t completely spurn Twitter as the search giant also tweeted the announcement (see above).
Nougat is expected to be pushed out anytime between July 1 and September 30, with Google’s stock Nexus devices being the first to get the update. Devices made by other manufacturers will get the updates later.
