When the Android 7.0 update comes out 1. And a little Easter egg. Split screen and picture-in-picture

Google released the final version of Android 7.0 Nougat, in which it did not radically change the interface, but made many changes that affected the functionality of the system. the site has been using Android Nougat since the release of the first alpha version, that is, almost six months. Let's see if consumers should want Android 7.

Notification shade

The visual changes most of all fell on the notifications and the curtain. Now all notifications are displayed not in the form of independent cards, but in a stack - this made it possible to free up space in order to sign the application that was sent by Push, as well as display its icon (note, in color, not black and white).

New folder design

However, before you can get the update, the OEM and operator mobile communications must be ready to deploy, which can slow things down. This is for a selected number of devices right now, so it's worth checking if your phone is ready to upgrade to a newer one. software.

Below we have listed all the devices we know to have the update already and the most recent information on when it will launch. However, you need to keep in mind that the official release date for an update will not always be reflected in the update software on your phone.

When the first level of the shutter is called, the first toggles are available to the user - previously it was possible to approach them only when you swipe again or pull the shutter out with two fingers. A bunch of third party manufacturers smartphones already use a similar menu in branded casings, but stock Android has got such a useful thing for the first time. By the way, now ordinary users the ability to change the position of the switches and their list on the quick settings screen is available!

Manufacturers decide when software is ready for deployment, but mobile operators and networks can also cause update delays, so it might be worth checking with your phone if the update isn't ready for you yet. The release date is pretty checkered. The following are the devices we know of.

The real update is here in full. But it was the "first in the world" title, which he won initially only from South Koreans. No specific timeline has been announced, but stay tuned. He didn't make this deadline overall. But now he's here, and it all matters.

You will need to buy new phone for this update. No need to wait for software on this phone. It looks like both of these phones will be left behind, despite being very recent devices. It's easy to launch too - just click on the last button in the navigation bar.

There's also a Clear All button at the top of the multi-task menu on your phone to make it easier to close all your apps. You will not need to move away from the current window to respond to incoming message... You can simply reply in the notification that appears at the top of the screen.

Notifications have become more interactive - now you can reply to a message in a chat, SMS, and so on directly in them. The developers themselves assign the appropriate functionality.

Directly from the curtain, you can see the statistics of the battery discharge and an information window about the traffic consumption. By the way, the notifications themselves can now be configured from the curtain: hold your finger on them for a long time or make a short swipe until the gear appears.

Quick settings are now toggled here as soon as you point down once to see notifications. The best news is that the buttons are all small and unobtrusive, leaving plenty of room for notifications. This little airplane badge still exists for our takeoff and landing needs, but it got a hit on the second swipe menu.

He also announced that notification cards will be grouped together if they appear in the same app. For example, all messages from a specific messaging app are combined into a notification shade. These grouped notifications can then be expanded into separate notifications using two-finger gestures or tapping on new button extensions.

Conveniently?

Switches on the first curtain level are a great innovation, especially when correct setting from the user's side. For example, the constant proximity of the Bluetooth launch point, through which we connect 3-4 times a day wireless headphones... It seems to have saved only one swipe, but in fact we have a potential hour of extra time a year - and what to do with it now, this hour?

We'll see which method works best this fall. This is basically a deep standby mode. It's perfect for tossing your phone in your pocket or tablet in your backpack and then getting it the next day or next week without recharging it right away.

This, in turn, will lead to more better graphics and smoother, faster performance. Updates are also smoother, with security updates automatically updated and a simple fresh boot on your device will see you are using the latest offering.

The stacking display of notifications was also extremely useful, because, at least, you can immediately see who sent the letters. Now to conclude whether it is necessary to go to mailbox behind the fourth letter, it just got easier. Again, saved seconds.

Quick access to notification settings from each program, in turn, does not seem so useful. On the one hand, it's good that you can quickly change the permissions for a new one, just installed program, but on the other hand, it would be much more logical to have a menu with flexible notification settings when you first start the software. V real life the site used the function of switching to the notification settings precisely because of the absence of such a start window in each program.

Then there are additional security features like file-based encryption and direct download to help your device launch faster while running apps reliably.

Subsequently, it will be distributed to all device owners. New features in the software include a built-in multi-window feature, a new notification panel, and a quick setting panel.

The company did not comment on further models. There are still a few devices missing and some companies that have not yet announced themselves, but as soon as the news broke, several brands have already announced their intentions to update several devices in their catalogs.

Settings

The "hamburger" menu has appeared in the settings, which contains all the items of the root directory, the menu bars themselves have become more informative, since they display not only the name, but also service information. For example, under Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, the names of the network and the device to which the smartphone is connected are indicated, under the use mobile networks the amount of consumed traffic is indicated, under the battery - the charge and the estimated operating time.

And a little Easter egg

Of these three brands mentioned above, a path of uncertainty and obscurity awaits us. On the other hand, nothing is known in the tablet section. It's still early, but which terminal will you miss to update? Although, sooner or later, an update has just arrived. And now the turn has come, the entry range, which has become a very popular terminal among users.

Tips before upgrading

Multitasking is now the key to accessing a new way of interacting with applications. Keep one of them pressed, place it at the top and the screen will be split in two. Now all that remains is to select the second, and you can process both at the same time. If you continue to click on an application icon, a popup will appear with various options related to the same application. Just close the curtain and write your answer directly. Additional functions: night mode, battery saving, redesigned menu, customization of shortcuts, etc. etc.

Labels in icons.
Reply in the notification window itself.

Your phone must have enough battery power to provide power throughout the entire process.

Above the list of settings, hints are now displayed that recommend setting a password, if it is not there, activate "OK Google", and much more depending on the situation and the settings used.

If your phone should have turned off right in the middle of an update, it could be fatal for it. We recommend to heal for health that your phone has at least 80%. If you want to be one hundred percent sure, follow the procedure with the phone connected to the mains.

Updating such characteristics is usually quite heavy and takes up a lot of space. If you don't want to run out of data, make sure you are at home when you do the procedure. When we upgrade a phone, it's convenient to format it and leave it as it came from the factory.

It is impossible not to note the appearance of such a useful function as "Scale of the image on the screen." Yes, yes, it's just dpi switching, which allows you to change the size of not only text, but also application shortcuts - seen in third-party firmware since 2011. But now this is part of the basic features! Hooray!

Physical keyboard hints

An essential element to make our phone as safe as possible from hacking and malicious applications. Jump to the eye are undoubtedly the graphic novelties, including the navigation and navigation keys.

Some improvements have also been made, such as, for example, reduced display and touch latency.

These two smartphones use two partition systems that are independent of each other. In the image below, you will see the multi-window mode available on both smartphone and tablet and it is very easy to activate it. You simply press the Recent Apps button, select one of the tabs, and move it to the top of the screen. then the second tab at the bottom of the display. To exit this mode, simply press the recent apps button again.

Healthy

Using the settings has become much more convenient: firstly, Google shows really useful service information under the names of the points, in most cases you don't even have to go inside the points, since the desired information is shown immediately. Secondly, the hamburger menu led to faster navigation through the items, which is especially felt when setting up the machine for the first time.

Recent apps: just tap to remove all of them

The smart and practical feature we've been waiting for!

Menu between settings

A new hamburger menu has been added to the settings menu so that users can easily switch from one function to another without having to go back by simply sliding the pop-up menu of that side towards the center.

The hints in the "Settings" seemed useless to us, but this is more likely caused not by the implementation itself, but by our experience. In theory, this approach will allow inexperienced users to become more familiar with the capabilities of the devices. Whether this is true, we will not know soon (because Android 7.0 will not reach the mainstream devices in the coming months).

Split screen and picture-in-picture

Basic Android from Google can now show two applications at once on the same screen! Multitasking is finally part of the system. Picture-in-Picture is a TV-only feature on Android. And if its absence in smartphones can still be understood (although with the existing diagonals it was possible to add PiP), then why the tablets were out of work remains a big mystery.

New notification bar

The notification menu has been completely redesigned. The icons above the notifications area are more visible, and to the right of them you can select the down arrow that allows you to expand the panel and access faster settings.

Application origin information

In terms of notifications, not only can you respond directly to messages from this menu, but you can accumulate more notifications bringing them closer together, as well as the ability to expand them to better visualize them.

With Nougat, just click to find out!

The parallel use of two programs still looks of little use when used on a smartphone, at least due to the fact that one of the two programs requires a running keyboard:

translate the text showing the original in the browser? Text editor in the second window asks for a keyboard
dumping memes to your friends in chat from social networks? To comment on a picture / GIF / video, you need to call the keyboard
describe the route to your friend on the map on the cafe's website? Need a keyboard anyway

The split screen is great for tablets, but it's more of a nuisance in smartphones (unless you're using the Minuum keyboard, of course). The function, however, with a reserve for the future - a huge number of programs are not optimized for this regime, due to which software malfunctions occur.

Finally, in quick settings night mode appears. This is a useful feature, especially for users who usually read content from a smartphone display in the evening. Activating this feature will reduce blue light emission and therefore also eye strain while reading.

New priority level for notifications

Minimum value: notifications will be displayed at the bottom of the notification list. Important: A notification will appear on the display. and emit an audible notification. Urgent: notifications will appear at the top of the notification list, appear on the display, and emit an audible notification.

Blocked: No notifications will be displayed.
Low value: notifications will appear silently in the notification list.
Normal value: notifications will sound a notification.

So, at the moment this is not a feature that is not intended for the average user, but still good to know!

"Clear all" and the list of running

Android 7 got a quick switch between applications: while in the program, double-click on the "list of launched" button to move to the application that was used until the last. This significantly speeds up the process of interacting with a smartphone and partially replaces the two-window mode, and for certain scenarios of use it will turn out to be an even more convenient tool. Moreover, fast switching between programs, in contrast to the two-window, turned out to be useful almost always - both for the scenarios described above and for other everyday tasks.

Additionally, there is an opportunity to "Clear all":

Wallpaper

Android 7.0 can change the wallpaper on the lock screen and desktop independently. Not so much news, on iOS this feature was present initially, and in third-party shells it has been for a long time, but many will appreciate the innovation in stock Android.

Physical keyboard hints

The OS will inform the owners of external keyboards which combinations should be pressed in order to perform a particular action. The innovation will be extremely useful for tablet owners who have purchased the corresponding accessory. As is the case with the tips in the settings, this functionality will be appreciated by beginners who are just getting acquainted with the system. However, an experienced user, no, no, and will see how to do this or that action, if he has forgotten the shortcut.

Daydream

VR comes to Android in the form of Daydream, a universal Android platform that allows developers to create high-quality visuals and provide easy control (using a gamepad). Daydream requires serious production facilities or optimized hardware, and therefore only the owners of the Nexus 6P will be able to enjoy the new VR experience, older devices and the simple Nexus 5X are deprived of this.

An important clarification - in the current assembly, Daydream is absent, which is logical, given that there is no software or gadgets for its operation in the public domain. Most likely, the official launch will take place along with the new Nexus (presumably in late September - early October).

Daydream may appear in flagships of other manufacturers with an update to Android 7.0, but only if the company's engineers implement platform support.

Heating control

Google has added new APIs, including Sustained Performance Mode, which aims to optimize the performance of applications when they are running for a long time. The trick will allow "fixing a predictable state in individual elements of the program", thereby reducing the load on the processor. In theory, this innovation will lead to the fact that smartphones will stop heating up significantly. If developers do not delay the introduction of new APIs into their programs.

Since new Android version will not soon capture any significant market share, the creators of the software are unlikely to actively make changes to the code. At the moment, this functionality is missing from the popular set of services and clients of social networks.

Updating the OS in the background

Android Nougat brought a unique feature of Chrome OS - now downloading and installing system updates will take place in the background, the user will only need to restart the device!

Of the minuses: the innovation will not appear in previously released devices, since the function will require a complete redistribution of memory in the device (that is, it cannot be done over the air), the developers previously told Android Police.

A seamless update is good, but considering how rarely manufacturers send updates, only flagship owners will be able to evaluate the usefulness of the function. In any case, until Google obliges partners to keep the OS up to date on manufactured devices.

Saving

The "Traffic Saver" function is a system add-on that Google describes as helping to reduce the use of traffic by applications in tariffs where megabytes are initially small (or in roaming). The active function blocks the use of the Internet in standby mode and forces the software to save precious megabytes: programs can lower the bitrate of streaming video or the quality of pictures, be more careful with caching, and so on. There is also a whitelist for software, so you don't have to sacrifice the quality of Twitter memes. Again, the function will bring real savings only after the developers teach the software to contact the innovation.

The Doze battery saver mode now works not only 30 minutes after the device is idle, but always when the screen is off. The principle of operation has not changed: lowering the processor frequency and limiting the activity of programs. It's too early to draw conclusions about the quality of the mode, you need to look at the behavior of 20-30 devices in comparison with how they worked on Marshmallow, but even on test assemblies, the downtime of the Nexus 6 almost doubled compared to Android 6.0, so there is a hope that the devices will really work much longer.

Little things

Google Moves To Emoji From Unicode 9: More New Faces And A New One appearance... Face recognition is now less sensitive to ambient light. Applications can work with different localizations without hammering in nails system settings- convenient for various catalogs of music and movies.

conclusions

The new Android is great: better optimized, faster, more future-proof. New notification curtain, multitasking and switching between the last two running programs- the most pleasant innovations available to the eye. Most importantly, they work well if the developers update their software.

The changes that concern the new Doze power saving proved to be great - after a few months of using the beta versions, the Nexus 6 is like it was not at the start of sales! Most impressive is the autonomy, which has almost doubled in standby mode and by 10% during normal activity. Saving traffic is also seen useful function for those who choose tariff plans with a small package of megabytes.

Comprehensively, Android is even better than expected. But the question is - are the updates worth it to headlong change the current device with the old system to the device where Android 7 will be out of the box? Of course not.

Do not invest in manufacturers' laziness, buy devices only with up-to-date Android. Then companies may start to better support already released devices, which will lead to a faster growth in the share of new versions of the system and force software developers to quickly implement new features.

If you are planning a purchase in the near future, it is better to wait a little before the release of devices with a new OS.