Good news, OnePlus fans: Android 7.0 Nougat is coming to the OnePlus 3 later this month.
A senior OnePlus exec has confirmed that OnePlus will get an early taste of Google’s latest Nougat software imminently. Speaking to Engadget, Brian Yoon, Head of Software at onePlus, confirmed “that a Nougat beta ‘community’ build would be ready for the OnePlus 3 this month’.
The report goes on to say that once OnePlus has made sure the software is bug-free, the software should go live on all OnePlus 3 devices before the end of 2016, coming via an over-the-air update.
The exec also confirmed that older OnePlus devices – like the OnePlus 2 – will be updated to Nougat too, eventually. Unfortunately, there’s no exact release window for that just yet.
We’ve seen a spate of Nougat commitments in recent weeks, with both LG and Samsung laying out their plans for updates. But the software has already been available since August 22, when Google rolled out the new mobile OS to its own Nexus devices.
Google first launched the new Nougat software back in March, replacing last year’s Android 6.0 Marshmallow, which still features on the majority of 2016’s flagship smartphones. Handsets like the Galaxy S7, LG G5, and HTC 10 all launched with Marshmallow on board, for instance. Some of the only handsets to launch with Nougat so far include Google’s new Pixel smartphones, as well as the recently released LG V20. There’s also a rumour that the expected OnePlus 3T, tipped to launch next week, will feature the software too.
Android 7.0 Nougat brought with it a number of significant changes compared to Marshmallow. Perhaps the most notable features include a new split-screen mode that lets you display two apps at once, as well as support for the powerful Vulka graphics API. There’s also a ‘seamless’ system updates feature that will install major software updates for Android on one side of a partitioned storage drive, making updating Android a less laborious process.
Finally, Nougat also brings with it the new Daydream VR platform, Google’s new virtual reality ecosystem. However, you’ll need a sufficiently powerful phone to make use of it; at this point, that means a handset with a Snapdragon 821 chip in it.
Related: Samsung Galaxy S8
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What do you think of Android 7.0 Nougat? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
