If you have one of the devices that’s eligible for this developer preview and you have been signed up for the Android Beta Program, then Google will automatically send an over-the-air (OTA) update to your device. The update will be over the coming week, according to Dave Burke, Google vice president of engineering. You can still sign up for the Android Beta Program if you want to test this latest OS release before it becomes available to everyone. And if you’d like, you can download images and flash them onto supported devices.
Android 7.1 Nougat Features
Google announced today that it has started rolling out the second developer preview of the Android 7.1 Nougat for a small group of devices: LG’s Nexus 5X, Huawei’s Nexus 6P, HTC’s Nexus 9, and the Google-made Pixel C tablet. The new features in this update will be included in 7.1.1 when it becomes available to everyone sometime in December.
“Android 7.1.1 includes the developer features already available on Pixel and Pixel XL devices and adds optimizations and bug fixes on top of the base Android 7.1 platform,” Dave Burke wrote in a blog post. According to Venture Beat, the first 7.1 developer preview included support for previously Pixel-only features like app shortcuts and image keyboards. It’s unclear what’s in this new release.
What To Expect With Its Upgrade?
As reported by Express, the Android 7.1 Developer Preview 2 brings a number of useful upgrades and improvements to Google’s mobile software as it looks to try out new features before a public launch. This means that many well-known apps made by Google and third party developers are now supported, and given a new makeover for the new generation of Android.
There’s also better support for Virtual Reality, particularly Google’s own Daydream platform, improved and enhanced live wallpapers, and a new way for apps to free up storage on your phone by directing users to space-saving shortcuts. Take note that only users with a Nexus 5X or 6P smartphones, or a Pixel C laptop, as well as the Nexus 9 tablet, will be able to get the new update.
Good news for Samsung users because the company has confirmed that it will be rolling out a beta program for Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge users Samsung is looking to try out Google's new mobile software, as has OnePlus.
LG has also said it is bringing the software, but to the users of the LG G5 only, the first time that Android Nougat has been made available to users of a device that originally launched with Android Marshmallow.
Currently, only Google's Pixel and Pixel XL devices offer the latest Android Nougat in the UK, although other smartphones promised to launch carrying the software in no time.
