In July, Google released its final preview build of Android Nougat, hinting that the public release is on the horizon. Now, a fresh leak hints that the company will publicly release Android 7.0 Nougat as soon as this month. The leak also reveals that Nexus 5 users won’t get the update.
Tipster Evan Blass claims that the public release will come alongside the security patch release on August 5. This is rather early compared to Google’s traditional time frame of a September-October release, where it also unveils the new Nexus device. Whether or not Google advances the rumoured HTC ‘Marlin’ Nexus device launch as well, remains to be seen.
Blass also said that Nexus 5 owners won’t get the update. The Nexus 5 smartphone has long passed its 18 months update cycle, and it seems fair that Google is pulling support.
Android 7.0 Nougat is expected to come with several new features, and the latest preview build hints at few Camera app upgrades. Android Police has spotted two new features in the Camera app – more Grid options, and the resurrection of the much-missed manual exposure mode.
Gridlines are a smart way to compose the mise en scene while taking a photo. The new Camera app will apparently give three more Gridline options, apart from the old standard 3×3 frame. There is now an option to choose 4×4, a Golden Ratio (aka Phi grid), and the Square Grid used mainly for social apps. The new Grid options are highlighted now on top of the viewfinder, and by clicking it the preferred grid can then be selected. The gridlines can also be kept off, if the user so prefers.
The manual exposure feature got lost in the preview builds, but has now made a comeback. It is resurrected in the form of a slider that shows up just by tapping on the screen. Users can then decide to then amp up the brightness or reduce it, or even just let it be as is.
For now, the latest preview build is available for Nexus 6, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus 9, Pixel C devices, as well as General Mobile 4G Android One devices. The final Android Nougat public release will bring improvements like multi-window support, enhanced notifications, revamped doze, number blocking, and more.