The new Nexus 6P, not the Google Nexus 2016 Marlin, phone is displayed during a Google media event on September 29, 2015 in San Francisco, California (Photo : Justin Sullivan | Getty Images News)
The first preview build of Android N made a surprise drop this week, providing a glimpse of the changes to come once version 7.0 is ready to replace Android Marshmallow. As always the case, the moment the next Android becomes official it will be showcase first with the Google Nexus 2016 family of devices.
And below are the upcoming Android revisions that the next Nexus will carry first:
New Settings app
With the Nexus 2016 becoming more powerful and faster than the past models, it appears that the main focus of the Android N upgrade is the adjustment on the user interface of the mobile operating system that renders it leaner, simpler and easier to navigate with.
One notable change, according to 9to5Google, is the introduction of the side menu that makes it easier to switch from one setting section to another. The transition animation has become smoother too, which is a treatment that can be observed all throughout the OS.
Material Design 2.0
New UI and new animation rendering will be unpacked with the Android N and next Nexus but the design philosophy still adheres to the Material Design approach that Google had introduced with Android Lollipop. It will be MD version 2.0 for Android 7.0, which the Nexus 2016 will show off first.
Notification panel reengineered
The Notification drop down panel will come with a new look plus MD touch and animation. One of the key changes is the easy reconfiguration of settings icon to users' preference and taste. It is obvious that in Android N, Google is aiming to make all Android fans power users.
Quick reply and action
The new Notification panel also makes for actionable alerts - text messages, for instance, can be replied on without leaving the panel or app alerts can be dealt with directly from the same zone. The same goes for when an Android device is locked, received SMS can be opened and replied on minus the trouble of keying in device lock codes.
Multitasking
Multi-windows was first introduced by Samsung on the Android platform and Google is finally giving the function, which permits multitasking, native support in Android N. For the next Android and Nexus flagship, when multitasking is activated and in use the mobile device will be in landscape mode and returns to portrait when the feature is turned off.
Night mode
Flagship smartphones will soon introduce Night Shift or Night Mode that apparently will make for more sleep-friendly mobile experience. Apple has hinted such feature will arrive via iOS 9.3 and Google is taking on the same path with Android N. The new feature, as expected, will become official first on the Nexus 2016 devices before other Android handsets will get their taste.
Faster and regular security fix
It's already happening as Google deploys monthly security fix to Nexus devices. In Android N, the same feature will be further enhanced with plans to do the same not only on devices running stock Android but also for all Android-powered gadgets. Users of the next-generation Nexus flagships will continue to enjoy this privilege and so is the rest of the Android world when Android N becomes fully operational, according to Android Central.
And Android N or version 7.0 is expected to be formally announced by Google using its 2016 I/O event this May or June en route to the release date of both the software and the Nexus 2016 flagship devices in the immediate months to follow.
