Android 7.0 Nougat has just entered its final public preview before the official release on compatible devices. Those who install it now will find features like the new "source report" for applications and additional security restrictions, as well as last-minute omissions—and even an "Easter egg" involving cats.
The community has questions
Android 7.0 Nougat is approaching at full speed. The last public beta or "technical preview" is now available, and several members of the official project participated in an "Ask Me Anything" on Reddit. This kind of "one-on-one interviews" with users always brings a risk factor to the table. Not everyone is happy with the path Google chose for Android, and this extends to both users and developers. The Q&A touched on very sensitive topics, starting with the apparent lack of attention in the public bug tracker (there are bugs that have been unresolved for a year), the possibility of moving Android development to another language (there are no plans), OEM intervention on the operating system, the confirmation that the Nexus 9 tablet will not have Vulkan support, and much more. If you have some command of English, it's definitely worth a review.
What's new in Nougat
Still, it would be a waste of time to focus only on the negative. Android Nougat has three very important elements at the top of its list: a split-screen mode to share space between two applications, an experimental multi-window mode (something we've been demanding for a long time), and an expansion of the "Doze" feature with the goal of saving battery. Energy consumption is historically one of Android's weakest points, and with these additional reinforcements on Doze, any regression should be avoided. Another very important fact is that the preview reports the installation source for an app, highlighting whether it was downloaded from the official store or manually introduced via APK side-loading.
Security and other changes
On the security side, the most notable thing is that Android Nougat will offer the possibility of blocking device boot if it detects that system files have been altered in some way. From a certain point of view, this reminds us of Windows' "Secure Boot", and while something similar has existed since KitKat, it's now much more robust. Of course, it will come with a bug-correction system, though everything will depend on the bootloader's state. Google's official devices don't put many obstacles when it comes to unlocking the bootloader, however, we'll have to see how it develops among OEMs. Something that was definitely left unfinished with this build is the so-called "Night Mode" (which, for example, iOS 9.3 already has with its "Night Shift"), and finally, Nougat has a very hidden "Easter egg" among its options. The detailed instructions are here.
