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Android 7.1 Dev Preview reportedly coming before the end of the year - here's what's new

Earlier today, Google announced its new Pixel and Pixel XL phones, which will launch with the next version of Android, 7.1 Nougat. If you pre-order the devices now, the Google Store says that they'll ship in 2-3 weeks; however, a report from Android Police says that Nexus users won't see a Developer Preview for Android 7.1 until closer to the end of the year.

Unfortunately, some of the features of Android 7.1 will be limited to the handsets that Google announced today. Here is the full changelog (via Android Police):

Pixel only

  • Pixel Launcher - swipe up for all apps, new Search Box, date/weather header on home

  • Google Assistant

  • Unlimited original quality photo/video backup to Google Photos

  • Smart Storage - when storage is full, automatically removes old backed up photos/videos

  • Phone/Chat support (new support tab in settings), screen-share functionality

  • Quick switch adapter for wired setup from Android or iPhone

  • Pixel Camera:

    • Electronic Image Stabilization (“video stabilization”) 2.0

    • Pro Features

      • White Balance Presets

      • Exposure Compensation

      • AE/AF Locking

      • Viewfinder grid modes

    • HW-accelerated (on Qualcomm Hexagon coprocessor) HDR+ image processing

    • Smartburst

  • Sensor Hub processor with tightly integrated sensors (accel, gyro, mag) + connectivity (Wi-Fi, Cell, GPS)

  • Cosmetic

    • Solid navbar icons with home affordance for Assistant

    • SysUI accent color theming

    • Wallpaper picker with new wallpapers and sounds

    • New setup look and feel

    • Dynamic calendar date icon

Android 7.1 Nougat

  • Night Light

  • Touch/display performance improvements

  • Moves (Fingerprint swipe down gesture - opt-in)

  • Seamless A/B system updates

  • Daydream VR mode

  • Developer features:

    • App shortcuts / shortcut manager APIs

    • Circular app icons support

    • Keyboard image insertion

    • Fingerprint sensor gesture to open/close notification shade

    • Manual storage manager Intent for apps

    • Improved VR thread scheduling

    • Enhanced wallpaper metadata

    • Multi-endpoint call support

    • Support for various MNO requirements

      • PCDMA voice privacy property

      • Source type support for Visual Voicemail

      • Carrier config options for managing video telephony

  • Manual storage manager - identifies apps and files and apps using storage

The changelog provided here by Android Police does seem a bit peculiar. There doesn't seem to be any reason that Google Assistant would be exclusive to the new Pixel devices, unless the company is holding it back as a differentiator.

It also seems odd that Daydream VR and seamless updates aren't exclusive to the Pixels. After all, we know that these are features that certainly won't be supported by all devices.

Google still hasn't updated its Android Developers site with information about the new OS update, so we'll likely find out more when it does.

Source: Android Police (1) (2)

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