Google wants to introduce new and improved data-saving features with Android 7.0 Nougat. The company aims to improve this by limiting background processes, and automatically identifying when users are on limited data plans.
Older Android versions informed users when they are nearing their data cap, and even cutting off usage; however, users had to enter this information themselves. The Nougat operating system (OS) makes this better by automatically limiting background processes on least-used apps. If users want certain apps such as Facebook to work, they can whitelist them. The feature also works with prepaid plans.
It will initially be rolled out on Google Nexus smartphones in the coming weeks, and Google is expected to add more useful features. Android Nougat will allow users who have encrypted their handhelds to use certain Google apps, such as the phone and the alarm, without entering the passcode. The phone’s contacts and other data will still remain hidden.
The search engine giant is also improving its MediaServer components to fend off hack attacks. Users will have more control of what apps they want to keep, thanks to the ability to effectively override device admin permissions. It will be easier to install software updates on the new OS because it will be carried out in a separate space on the phone’s storage, allowing users to continue carrying out their operations while their device is being updated. App optimization will no longer be part of the new OS.
Nougat will also allow users to utilize an always-on VPN, while a "work security challenge" feature is being added to create separate Android profiles and passcodes on users’ devices. As news website CIO’s Al Sacco wrote in an article, the business-centric feature allows IT admins to even set different lock screens for their corporate devices and services. A "work mode" option will allow users to disable non-work apps so that they cannot be distracted by that funny meme a friend shared on social network.
The Android 7.0 Nougat dialer allows business users to easily look up both personal and professional contacts from the same list. IT admins can even tag work-related calls, so that the user knows whether a call is work-related or personal (and ignore the call respectively). Users who want to differentiate business and personal lists will still have the option to do so.
Other minor additions include a new QR Code feature that can help devices without the NC "Android bump" feature to link up with others. IT admins can also request bug reports, which mostly have to be approved by the user of the device.
All in all, the most interesting feature for users has to be the data-saving mode. Since most carriers do not offer limitless data and it is exactly what services such as Netflix require, the need for mobile internet has not been met. This way, users can make small savings, for example, not having the Messenger app check for Facebook messages every now and then while mobile data is turned on.
It will be interesting to see if Google speeds up the update’s rollout to existing Android phones;, given that its global rollout has been particularly delayed. New smartphones such as the LG V20 is said to release with Nougat. According to rumors, popular Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is expected to receive the latest OS in two months.
Having said that the updates are quite cool for a mobile OS, they are least likely to make users switch to Nexus phones. Google itself might benefit from releasing it early for the latest smartphones such as the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S7, and their Edge variants. Given that business users are targeted considerably, it will be interesting to see if this can boost BlackBerry’s prospects following its shift to Android. The update might even give rise to more business-centric phones from other manufacturers such as Huawei and Xiaomi—companies which have so far focused on marketing to the masses.
