Android N is the main innovation of the mobile OS. Android N: what's new and is it worth upgrading? Which devices will receive Android n
A possible variation in the development of the Android operating system is N. You will be the first to find out what, where, how and when on our website!
Chinese resource IT House I was able to find the official image from Xiaomi company, which reveals the list of the company's smartphone models that are awaiting the update on . The list is quite extensive, it includes 14 devices. Xiaomi, although not very quickly, releases updates for its smartphones quite consistently.
We bring to your attention the one hundred and third issue of our weekly Android News. In today's episode we'll talk about Android O, Galaxy S8, and much more! Below you can read the same news in traditional text format, if that is more convenient for you.
The Android Nougat update for Galaxy smartphones, along with the expected list of innovations, will expand the functionality of the integrated Touch ID sensors. Representatives of the company shared the relevant information in response to a request from one of the company’s clients, who wished to use the fingerprint sensor not only to confirm their identity.
It is no exaggeration to say that compatibility between Android and Intel today is far from perfect. And neither , nor Intel seem to be making significant efforts to change this situation. Despite this, the Android-86 project aims to transfer the most popular OS for mobile devices to computers. As part of this project, a build of Android 7.0 was released. This means that users will now be able to run Android 7.0 Nougat on their computers.
When Nexus owners became available, everyone was sad to see that the incredibly popular and beloved Nexus 5 was no longer supported and would not receive an OS update. Despite , official version there will be no device for this. And it seems not only for him, but also for other smartphones with Snapdragon processor 800/801.
IN modern smartphones At the top of the screen you can always find a line on which there is a signal strength icon, a battery level icon, etc. The letters G, E, 3G, H, 3G+, H+, 4G, and sometimes LTE may also appear in the line. What do they mean? The answer is actually simple - the icon shows which transmission technology is used in this moment. In other words, this is the technology that is used to connect your smartphone to the Internet.
Now let's take a closer look at each icon. Attention - in the upper right, left, or right corner (depending on the smartphone model).
- G from English GPRS - General Packet Radio Service, general packet radio communications (2G). GPRS allows the network user cellular communications exchange data with other devices on the GSM network and with external networks, including the Internet. The maximum speed is 171.2 Kbps, but in practice it is usually lower.
- E from English EDGE. Digital technology wireless transmission data for mobile communications, operating over 2G and 2.5G networks. The maximum speed has already reached 474 Kbps.
- 3G from English third generation - third generation. Third generation mobile communication technology, which also provides high-speed Internet access. UMTS technology with HSPA add-on is used. The maximum speed of 3G networks reaches 3.6 Mbit/s.
- H, 3G+, H+. HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) technology allows you to transfer data over UMTS networks at very high speeds up to several tens of Mbit/s! However, you need to take into account that not all devices support this speed.
- 4G (LTE, LTE-A). As you might have guessed, the technology got its name from the phrase fourth generation - fourth generation. These are promising technologies that allow data transmission at speeds exceeding 100 Mbit/s for mobile subscribers and 1 Gbit/s for landline subscribers.
Please note that the figures indicated in the article are approximate. Much depends on the operator, the user's location, the user's device, etc. And this means that in real life speed may vary significantly. At the same time, in many cities, the Internet connection speed on smartphones is so high that you can watch HD videos directly from your device.
operating room Android system N has not yet received its final name, but we already know a lot about it. Google is being more open this time, releasing a couple of developer previews this year and now introducing a beta build that can be used as the main operating system. It can be downloaded for the Pixel C tablet and Nexus smartphones from version 6. If users are not ready to work with a non-final version of the system, you can read about its innovations in this article.
Multitasking
The inability to display more than one app at a time became especially noticeable on Android last year, when the work-oriented Pixel C tablet was released. In Android N, developers eliminate this shortcoming. You can also split the screen on smartphones by holding down the task switch button. This is a fairly intuitive solution, but now it’s like you get two screens the size of a smartphone.Applications do not need to be updated to be compatible with this feature. Some, like Instagram, aren't selectable at all yet, while others, like Twitter and The New York Times, load just fine in a smaller format despite landing on the "may not work" warning list.
The task switch button is another Android N trick: double-tapping it opens the last recently used app. Google calls this Quick function Switch is the equivalent of the Alt-Tab button combination in Windows.
If you have too many apps open at once, the Clean button will help you close them with one click.
Notifications
The Notification Shadow has been completely redesigned in Android N. Objects are now visible more clearly, with smaller icons that make better use of space. Notifications have become more functional, they can be expanded twice for viewing information and interaction. You can open them not only with a swipe, but also with small buttons.Long-pressing each notification allows you to set how you want to receive notifications from that app in the future, such as receiving them silently or blocking them altogether.
We can also mention the integration of quick switches. In you need to pull the top edge of the screen down to open a menu with switches for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and others, and in N there is a row of five icons above the notifications. To open the rest, you need to scroll through the list; the icons can be customized to select the ones you use most often.
Settings
The settings menu has also undergone changes. At the top there are suggestions for actions that you have not yet performed on your device, such as settings accounts Email or voice commands. Each option contains relevant information, such as free disk space, data about Wi-Fi networks, traffic, etc.
Another change concerns the permanent settings that appear in the list when activated. The toggle appears at the top of the list and can be dismissed, like notifications, if desired.
A virtual reality
While there's nothing truly new in the current public beta, a virtual reality is the big piece of the Android N puzzle. Google launches new platform based on Android called Daydream, which replaces the Cardboard device. You will need a Daydream certified smartphone with the correct display and sensors, these will work with the new VR mode in Android to improve the performance of virtual reality devices.So far, Google is demonstrating prototypes of such devices with a simple wireless motion controller. Other manufacturers will be able to produce their own devices that meet the Daydream standard; , and are already ready to offer smartphones with Daydream support.
In terms of content, Google is working on VR versions YouTube applications, Street View and Photos, collaborating with Netflix, Ubisoft and Electronic Arts. The launch of the Daydream platform is planned for the fall.
Keyboard themes
This is far from the main innovation of the next Android versions, but many topics have appeared in the system for Google keyboard default. You can choose different colors, add and remove borders between buttons, and set a photo as a background.
Performance
Google is talking about performance improvements in a number of areas. N supports new GUI Vulkan, which is starting to be used in computer games and will increase the speed of display of games on smartphones and tablets.Android N received new compiler JIT, thanks to which Google promises to increase the duration battery life and halve the size of applications, making them 75% faster.
New emoticons
Google is updating the set of emoji in Android N, giving them a more unified look. The company is inviting the Unicode Consortium to adopt 13 new emoticons.
Easter eggs
Android N doesn't have a version number yet, but Google already puts traditional surprises into the system. In every version of Android, they are opened by quickly tapping the version number in the settings. In this case, the N logo appears. We just have to wait until the system has a final name, then the surprise may be more significant.
Battery charge, we can already talk about the next version - Android N.
Lollipop - lollipop, Marshmallow - , N***** - Nougat (nougat), Nestle, Nutella, Nut (nut) or something else, we can only guess. Latest updates and their frequency allow us to conclude: every year the American corporation regularly introduces a new version of the popular platform. Vice President of Development Hiroshi Lockheimer once said this. It turns out that Android N will be shown in 2016, Android O in 2017, and so on until the end of the alphabet.
Now you can’t count on interesting leaks, it’s too early, you need to get used to “Zefirka”. But you can speculate what you would like to improve in operating system. All of a sudden Google developers will listen...
Multi-window mode
The implementation of this function, without exaggeration, will open a new milestone in the development of Android OS. Just imagine: some interesting article or book is open at the top of the screen, and at the bottom - social network and correspondence with friends. Time saving and convenience - no need to switch from one window to another every time.
Setting up standard buttons
Every smartphone and tablet has a Home, Back, and Menu (sometimes Google) button. There is real confusion here: on some devices they are mechanical, on others they are touch. The “Back” button is located on the right, and on the left. Such discrepancies occur regularly, especially among different manufacturers. Why don't Google developers give the right to customize them to the user? First of all, this will be useful for those who have several gadgets with different button layouts that are easy to confuse.
Dark interface
There was a dark theme for the interface design, but for some reason it didn’t make it to Marshmallow. It is very useful for using a smartphone in the dark. The light interface hurts the eyes at night.
Downloading and customizing themes
Since we're talking about a dark interface, why not implement a full-fledged function for downloading and customizing themes, as is done, for example, in MIUI? It would be cool if the user could manually select the colors of the background, labels, sliders and other elements.
Indicator color control
On smartphones with modern front camera There is an LED, which can be configured at the user’s discretion using third-party applications: each type of notification is assigned its own indicator color. This function can be implemented in Android N.
Double click
A convenient feature where you can quickly “wake up” the device with two clicks on the screen without pressing the physical lock/unlock button. The feature was tested in Developer Preview, but did not appear in the final release.
Quickly switch music
Most smartphone users use them for , it is very convenient. And each of us sometimes switches boring songs. What is needed for this? Take the gadget out of your pocket, unlock it, change the song, lock it and put it back. It's long and inconvenient. It would be much better if the music was switched by holding down the volume rocker. 
Different desktop wallpapers and locks
This, of course, is a mere trifle, but why has it not yet been implemented? Some people are simply “dragged” by different design themes and pictures. I would also like more laconic stock wallpapers.
Android N has received a number of improvements and a new API that will allow developers to make their app notifications more interactive. Now it will be possible to reply to messages, view letters and perform other actions directly from the notification shade.
Rumors that Google is working on the ability to display the windows of several applications on the screen at once have been circulating for a long time. And now in Android N these rumors have become reality. Now you can split the screen into two parts and work with your own application in each of them. Of course this opportunity Most of all, it will please owners of gadgets with enough .
New quick settings panel
In Android N panel quick settings has been improved. Now it includes an additional menu with the most necessary options. Thus, the user has the opportunity to access switching even faster wireless interface, activation of the geolocation system, flashlight and other frequently used functions. The composition of this menu can be easily changed.
Data Saver - new feature Android N, which will be useful for people using mobile tariffs with restriction . We are not talking about data compression or blocking access for individual applications. Enabling Data Saver simply changes the rules of working with the network, making programs less likely to request new data.
IN new version Android has a special night mode, which can be activated automatically or on a schedule. It includes a dark theme for the system interface, special settings for the screen color tone (red filter) and a decrease in brightness level. Fans of late-night reading will be pleased.
The appearance of the function in previous version Android promised a significant reduction in battery consumption. However, the reality turned out to be not so rosy. Therefore, Android N has put a lot of work into perfecting this feature. In particular, Doze will now be automatically activated not only when the gadget lies motionless for some time, but immediately after the screen turns off. According to the developers, this can provide additional time gain for using the smartphone.
In addition to global improvements and new features, Android N contains a large number of subtle but pleasant changes user interface. Look, for example, at the new card sizes in the recent applications menu ( - left, Android N - right). They have become larger, more convenient and provide best review its contents.
In Android N, blocking unwanted numbers becomes much more effective thanks to the fact that Google has provided support for this feature at the system level. Now the list of blocked contacts will be stored directly in the system, and third party applications will be able to access it and synchronize their data.
Easily switch between applications
In Android N, the function of switching between recent applications has changed slightly. Now you can do this using the Browse button as shown in this video. Double tap pressing this button will simply switch you to the previous program, and holding it will cycle through all running applications. Very convenient for one-handed operation.
Different phones can be equipped with screens with completely different characteristics, due to which they display the picture completely differently. Android N now allows you to adjust the color balance and achieve optimal display of content on the screen.
If you have previously updated the system or installed a new ROM, then, of course, you are familiar with the lengthy optimization process installed applications. Android N includes an improved version of the ART runtime that makes this action much faster. This innovation also affects the speed of installation of new programs.
So, what do you think of the list of changes? Did you find anything in it that makes you worth waiting for Android N?
