15 ms·

Taking the final wrapper off of Android 7.0 Nougat

290 points by raptaml 10y ago

SadWebDeveloper 10y ago
No nexus 5 (not 5x) OTA Update ='(
- magila 10y ago
  Not really surprising given the device's age, but still disappointing given the presumably rather large number of Nexus 5 still in use. The bigger story may be the inability to come up with a compelling reason for N5 users to upgrade, other than getting the latest OS revision. The N5's compactness in particular makes the 5X (and the impending successor, codenamed "Sailfish") a tough sell.
  - jonesetc 10y ago
    It'll be a bummer not using latest android for the first time in many years (HTC G2 -> Nexus 4 -> Nexus 5), but I really can't imagine anything compelling me to pay hundreds of dollars for a new phone for a couple more years. The Nexus 5 has been practically the perfect phone for me.
    - criley2 10y ago
      It's extremely unlikely that the N5 won't get Android 7 through the dedicated efforts of some XDA folks. If you want to save a couple hundred dollars, then maybe it's time to learn about a custom recovery and loading the 7.0 rom yourself! I don't think the factory images are even out yet, so it'll take a bit for them to get a nice stable AOSP+gapps package for you
      - simcop2387 10y ago
        That's my plan for 7 on my 5. I was hoping CopperheadOS would support it but it looks like they're dropping the 5 too (based on quick google search).
    - wastedhours 10y ago
      I'd agree - however after nearly 3 years the speakers on my N5 are nigh on unusable (phonecalls are only really possible with a headset or loudspeaker), the power cable refuses to stay put and tries to make a break for it every 5 minutes, and there's still an annoying bug where the screen is flaky/unresponsive when it is finally plugged in. Not sad about missing out on Nougat at the moment, but the sheer number of N5s I see in the wild it's annoying that a popular phone is being left behind.
      - gpderetta 10y ago
        Same problem, except that my loudspeaker is also busted. Headphones only right now. The damage is possibly my fault as I opened the phone to change the battery (which died in two years), but the lack of an user accessible battery and it's poor battery life are a problem.
      - desas 10y ago
        I have the exact same issues with my N5. I think I'll have to get myself a headset rather than shouting down the speaker phone. I'll feel sad not to be on the leading edge for the first time in years (had Nexus 4 before)
      - devicenull 10y ago
        Do you have the fun issues where the power button sticks, resulting in an endless boot loop? I've resorted to percussive maintenance, which oddly fixes the problem for months at a time.
        thaumasiotes 10y ago
        I had that issue. When I tried whacking the phone to unstick the power button, it instead entered a state where it can't mount its internal storage and just stays in the (same) booting animation indefinitely because it can't boot. I don't view this as an improvement.
  - swiley 10y ago
    That's a pretty crappy excuse, I've had laptops that last for 7 years just fine running Linux.
    - CydeWeys 10y ago
      Laptops aren't mobile phones though. Phones have seen much, much more change in the past seven years than laptops have.
      - swiley 10y ago
        Not in the past couple years though, there is really nothing significantly different in the hardware of a Samsung Galaxy s3 and a Nexus 6. Also, one of those laptops was manufactured in the late 90s.
      - hackbinary 10y ago
        Well, not anymore. Laptops, and computers had huge change from the 70's to the early 2000's. We're going through the same technology change with mobiles now, but that even seems to be tapering off now.
    - khedoros 10y ago
      Let's get closer to comparing apples to apples. Every one of my laptops has lost manufacturer support 1-3 years after I got them...but even my 13 year old laptop will run a current Linux build. Every one of my phones has lost manufacturer support 1-3 years after I got them...but my 5 year old Galaxy Nexus still has Cyanogenmod builds being released for it (based on Marshmallow). With the timelines of when these different markets began, I think that's a fair comparison. Manufacturers want to maintain as few models as possible, but the community often does the work to provide extended support time.
  - wlesieutre 10y ago
    > Not really surprising given the device's age Nexus 5 released late 2013, last major OS update in late 2015. Compare to the iPhone 4S, which came out late 2011 and still got iOS 9 (4 years later). Really not buying the "two years is plenty of updates" excuse, especially from the Nexus line.
    - Grazester 10y ago
      When you make your own chipset and dont rely on third party binary updates to enable new features also helps the iphone.
      - Grazester 10y ago
        hmmm http://www.androidauthority.com/android-7-0-snapdragon-800-801-712930/ http://www.androidauthority.com/android-7-0-snapdragon-800-8...
    - datguacdoh 10y ago
      Not entirely fair comparison since the 4S didn't get every feature; it was a paired down version. AFAIK, Google doesn't cherrypick features for older hardware - it's all our nothing. Also, the 4S ran terribly on ios9, to the point that two of my friends with 4S's just gave in and bought new iphones instead.
      - wlesieutre 10y ago
        I ran it myself as a secondary device for phone app testing and didn't have that problem. Maybe as a daily driver I would have had more trouble? In my experience, the bigger issue was designers assuming everyone has the taller iPhone 5 screen size (or worse, iPhone 6) and burning up 95% of the screen with keyboard + giant fixed header + fixed footer. Some apps would give you space for maybe two lines of content in between all that. More of a complaint with 3rd party devs on that though.
      - r00fus 10y ago
        So - what would you prefer, a slower but secure OS on an older phone, or no updates at all? Also the "cherrypick" comment is a bit of a dodge - Google already does security patches for older releases (3 years vs. 2). It would arguably be just as easy to secure one codebase and pare features down for performance.
  - Rapzid 10y ago
    This is disappointing to me too. The 5X seems just a tad too large on top of me not needing it as my 5 is still going strong after ~3 years..
  - ThatPlayer 10y ago
    The biggest feature I'm looking for that the newer Nexuses don't have over my N5/N7 is Qi wireless charging. My Nexus 7's USB port has been broken for over a year now, and I've been using a wireless charger all this time. It just seems like a good idea to reduce the wear and tear on the USB ports if I want to continue using the phone for years.
    - lewisl9029 10y ago
      This is the same reason why I haven't bothered to upgrade yet also. Wireless charging is the killer feature for wireless devices in my opinion. I can't wait for the day when every one of my devices and wireless peripherals supports wireless charging, so I can just lay them down on a large charging pad when I'm not using them and never have to worry about not having a full battery when I pick it up for use, or have to fumble with plugging wire into every single device.
    - blisterpeanuts 10y ago
      Plus there are charging tables in some Starbucks; it's so handy to just lay your device on the table and top it off. Why did they take that feature away? :( There's a way to add wireless charging to your 5X if you're handy with a soldering iron, though. https://youtu.be/WimH8g-H2lE https://youtu.be/WimH8g-H2lE
      - jevinskie 10y ago
        That is a really cool and simple hack. Take a wireless charging coil + support circuitry and simply tap that into the USB +5V and ground? It all sounds too easy!
  - thaumasiotes 10y ago
    > Not really surprising given the device's age, but still disappointing given the presumably rather large number of Nexus 5 still in use. My Nexus 5 was in use up until a couple of weeks ago. Then it entered a state where, when plugged in, it rebooted in an eternal loop and, when not plugged in, it shut off. Judging by the internet, this is a common problem for them. I followed the advice I found in multiple places of trying to dislodge the Nexus 5's stuck power button by whacking it against a soft object. That worked -- it will now try to boot, fail to mount the hard drive, and just keep displaying the booting animation forever. It can boot into the bootloader and recovery mode, and I can flash a new recovery image in fastboot, or at least I can issue the command and see a report of success, but on reboot I just get the old recovery mode. So... I guess I do have a compelling reason to upgrade, although the N5 was satisfactory in every other way. My Nexus 4 still works fine, but it's gotten much puffier than it should be, and apparently it's impossible to get a new battery for it. :(
    - viraptor 10y ago
      If you have another device to wait a month with, at least you can upgrade to the 2016 line instead of 5x/6p. Gives you another 3 years, not 2.
      - robocat 10y ago
        I think it is 2 years for major updates (from release), 3 years for security updates (from release), or 18 months for security updates from end of life. Unless you are unlucky enough to get a device that they can't update due to drivers (Texas Instruments CPU).
- helloworld 10y ago
  Also, no update for the Nexus 7 (2013) tablet: http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/08/android-nougat-drops-support-for-nexus-5-and-2013-nexus-7/ http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/08/android-nougat-drops-... [I]t's too bad that the support lifecycle of the most consistently updated Android devices is so much shorter than what Apple achieves with iOS, especially since the hardware should still be more than capable of supporting Nougat.
  - pasbesoin 10y ago
    My 2013 Nexus 7 is perfectly fine... except for now being left behind, software-wise. I bought once / as soon as I learned that its successor had not been worth waiting for. So, I got significantly less than 3 years out of it. Would have bought the successor, except... Guess I'll be rooting it. And buying Apple, next time.
    - ZenoArrow 10y ago
      Android 6 is very likely to be supported for quite some time by app developers, it's not like you're missing out on much by not running the latest version of the OS.
      - karma_vaccum123 10y ago
        Exactly! I own this device and still use it often...I see no reason to stop using it. It received a security patch just recently, and I don't feel that missing out on further updates will impact watching YouTube videos
    - ConroyBumpus 10y ago
      Things are tough all over. Signed, person that bought a first generation iPad.
      - pasbesoin 10y ago
        Yeah. First world problem, or whatever. But, like my 2013 Moto X, it's irritating to get less than 2 years out of a multiple hundred dollar product that otherwise is fine. And I would have bought the successor to the Nexus 7, except there was none, really -- nothing comparable and problem free (in addition to the price bump and larger size, the 9 had issues, initially, IIRC). And... after the Moto X, and observing how quickly my parents' Samsung tablet on Verizon was abandoned, I wasn't willing to get a tablet other than a Nexus, i.e. one receiving support and updates directly from Google. My point, finally, is that even going Nexus is no longer a way to get reasonable support for a product, it seems. I've gotten pretty tired of Google and company's game of musical chairs, with respect to hardware. ---- P.S. I post these comments, occasionally, here on HN also because I know Googlers still swing by and read them. The only means of feedback I've ever found to Google. Enough people push enough negativity through Google's version of the reality distortion field, and at least an initiative gets launched. Thing is, Google, you need to stick with it -- one of them -- sooner or later.
- Longhanks 10y ago
  Shame on Google. iPhone 5 was released a year before it (September 2012) and is going to receive iOS 10 in a few weeks. This is just laziness on Google's side.
  - mtgx 10y ago
    And Qualcomm, etc. They tend to support their own chips for about 18 months.
  - JohnTHaller 10y ago
    Nexus 5 launch price: US$349 iPhone 5 launch price: US$649 A phone nearly twice the price should be supported quite a lot longer.
    - danieldk 10y ago
      But it's not quite a bit longer, but much longer. The last major update for the Nexus 5 was Marshmallow. Mashmallow was released in October 2015, the Nexus 5 was released in October 2013. So, one got major updates for 24 months iff you bought it on release day and you were lucky to be in a region where it was available in in October 2013. The iPhone 5s was released in approximately the same timeframe (September 2013). It gets iOS 10 and will probably receive iOS 11 as well (since the 5 gets 10 and they now seem to drop one generation per release). So, that will give major updates at least until 2017, or four years. I am not sure why we find this acceptable anyway. When we buy a $300-400 Windows x86 laptop, we also expect it to be upgradable for a decade or so (which is usually possible).
      - JohnTHaller 10y ago
        The Nexus 5 was released in October 2013 and was on the most up to date version of Android through August 2016. It will continue to get security updates. Plus it will continue to get updates to Google Services (a chunk of what we think of as Android) and the core apps including the default browser. Unlike Apple, Google doesn't really do the 'you get the next version but a bunch of new features are disabled' thing. The fact that Google Services, core apps, Chrome, and other things will continue to get updates does feel vaguely reminiscent of it, though.
qznc 10y ago
Personally, I don't care for any [0] of the new features. This is the greatest feature, because it means Android is mature now. [0] Sure, better performance is always nice, but I don't care for Vulkan, VR Mode, or Multi-Window.
- russjr08 10y ago
  The Doze improvements look nice to me.
  - deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]
  - ianlevesque 10y ago
    This is the most significant update, way way overdue.
    - twblalock 10y ago
      Seriously. I switched back to an iPhone from Lollipop earlier this year, and the difference in battery life is staggering, even though the iPhone has a smaller battery than the Android phone I used to have. I'm glad that Google has signaled that they are going to further tighten the restrictions on background app activities in future releases. I hope they follow through with it.
      - kuschku 10y ago
        And with this, they just killed all actual apps for Android. Anything you can do with an app you can do as well with a website. Any actual app, not just a website in form of an app, which did computational task, data recording, or kept services available, is impossible to create now. Run tracking app that doesn’t require you uploading your GPS data to Google Fit? Impossible. Messaging app that doesn’t route all your private messages through Google Cloud Messaging? Impossible. EDIT: before downvoting, read the comment below from morsch, he and I explained there pretty well the issues.
dang 10y ago
Also https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12337538 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12337538 and https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12338381 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12338381. If there's a clearly better URL, we can consider swapping the current one out.
ymse 10y ago
Just a shout-out to the fine folks over at CopperheadOS[0]who have been doing a lot of behind-the-scenes hardening in Android over the last year[1]. If you have a Nexus device and don't care much for the Play Store applications (F-Droid is included) give it a go for a true AOSP experience. The only apps I'm really missing are Tasker and Signal, but I have a second phone for those. 0: https://copperhead.co/android/ https://copperhead.co/android/ 1: https://copperhead.co/android/docs/technical_overview https://copperhead.co/android/docs/technical_overview
- koevet 10y ago
  Can't you install the Signal apk directly, from apkmirror[0] ? 0: http://www.apkmirror.com/apk/open-whisper-systems/signal-private-messenger/signal-private-messenger-3-3-0-release/signal-private-messenger-3-3-0-android-apk-download/ http://www.apkmirror.com/apk/open-whisper-systems/signal-pri...
  - tdkl 10y ago
    It needs Google Play Services for push notifications over GCM.
  - hackuser 10y ago
    Re: APKMirror: I have the same questions I have about all APK proxy services - which claim to pull the APKs directly form the Play Store - why would I trust it to provide software that isn't infected with malware? Other than APK Downloader, I haven't found another credible source among the very many options. Any solutions would be appreciated. ---- [0] APK Downloader, for those interested ... I'd start with the original, but the others might suit your needs: * redphoenix89's original here: http://codekiem.com/2014/08/07/official-apk-downloader-v2-download-apk-files-from-google-play-store-to-pc/ http://codekiem.com/2014/08/07/official-apk-downloader-v2-do... and here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1515021 http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1515021 * Bexton's updated Chrome extension, based on v1.21: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1809458 http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1809458 * Lekensteyn updated Chrome extension, based on v1.3.4 of Bexton's: https://lekensteyn.nl/apk-downloader/ https://lekensteyn.nl/apk-downloader/ and https://github.com/Lekensteyn/apk-downloader https://github.com/Lekensteyn/apk-downloader
Ologn 10y ago
> Multi-Window support lets users run two apps at the same time (click the Multi-Window support link) > If your app targets API level 23 or lower and the user attempts to use the app in multi-window mode, the system forcibly resizes the app unless the app declares a fixed orientation. > If your app does not declare a fixed orientation, you should launch your app on a device running Android 7.0 or higher and attempt to put the app in split-screen mode. Verify that the user experience is acceptable when the app is forcibly resized. Great, more nonsense being shoved down Android developer's throats. They still claim that newer versions and new features are not breaking their API - if this is the case, why would an app on Google Play from a year ago need the developer to "verify that the user experience is acceptable" just because they published a new version with a new feature? It's been almost nine years since Android released its initial SDK and they're still playing cowboy stuff like this. This feature should be turned on for apps targeting Nougat or later, you shouldn't make every Android developer check every app ever made because three people on the Android developer team made a new feature and can't wait for its use to become more widespread, so they turn it on by default for legacy (pre-Nougat targeted) apps.
- GrinningFool 10y ago
  My uninformed guess would say that a sampling of a significant number of apps showed that they rendered fine, and they deemed it worth the trade-off that some may not. The logic probably went along the lines of: it's better for the user to have this feature that works with X% of what they already have installed than to force them to wait for the developers of each and every app to decide if/when they want to get around to updating.
  - Ologn 10y ago
    > a sampling of a significant number of apps showed that they rendered fine The problem is they break the API all the time, and this leaves Google Play strewn with broken apps. This may break 1% of apps, the next release breaks another 1%, after 10 releases, 10% of the apps not updated are broken. Here's an example, I go to Google Play and search for "ringtone maker" ( https://play.google.com/store/search?q=ringtone%20maker https://play.google.com/store/search?q=ringtone%20maker ). The #3 result for me (which can vary by location) is https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.anbu.ringtonemaker https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.anbu.ringt... . So I download the app, click the microphone, say something, hit stop and - "java.io.IOException: Unknown file format". This is their 3rd result for ringtone maker, has over 5 million downloads and yet their record feature is broken. It used to work but Google changed the API. You can look at the app source code ( https://github.com/malizadehq/ringdroid https://github.com/malizadehq/ringdroid ) to see where this app broke if you want. This is just one example which comes to mind, I can think of many. They claim they don't break the API going forward but they do all the time.
UncleChis 10y ago
Did I read it right: Nexus Player is in the list of OTA update? I thought the device is dead? Anyone has a link of Nougat for Android TV?
- Navarr 10y ago
  I've been running the beta - which is a terrible idea on a day-to-day Nexus Player. It does not prompt you for updates - it just updates. This is fine if you're on a stable channel. This is not great when it's your primary entertainment resource on a beta channel. However, it's pretty nice? I know it has some added features but it doesn't really feel much different in 7 than it did in 6. I haven't had a chance to use PiP or anything like that.
  - ndesaulniers 10y ago
    A lot of love went into player for N. It's in better shape than in M.
    - chambo622 10y ago
      This makes me want to buy one to replace my ADT-1...which is not easy to do these days. I sure hope there is a future for standalone Android TV boxes that aren't as expensive and large as the Shield.
- awill 10y ago
  It is dead. But Google are required to meet their OTA promise. 2 years for major updates, 3 years for security updates.
- terinjokes 10y ago
  I'm still awaiting my updates to my Google TV!
jacquesc 10y ago
Using the beta for the last couple weeks (easy to install on nexus via android.com/beta), I really like the notification improvements in 7.0. They are grouped by app now, which makes things easier to navigate, and the new clean styling of the notification content makes it more pleasant to read.
roschdal 10y ago
Is there a way to force update to Android 7 on Nexus 6P now?
- demetris 10y ago
  I read that the following works: 1. Sign up for the Android beta programme: g.co/androidbeta 2. Enroll your Nexus 3. Unenroll after you have been updated to Android 7 Make sure you are actually on Android 7 before unenrolling. Going out of a regular beta will wipe your phone! Cheers Edit: Copy/Paste sandGorgon’s warning from below.
  - sandGorgon 10y ago
    This just worked for me. Warning : make sure you are actually on Android 7 before unenrolling. Going out of a regular beta will wipe your phone.
- amyjess 10y ago
  Android Police posts the OTA images as people send them in. It looks like the 6P image is available: http://www.androidpolice.com/2016/08/22/flash-all-the-things-full-android-7-0-nougat-nexus-ota-roundup/ http://www.androidpolice.com/2016/08/22/flash-all-the-things... Download it to your device, and either flash it in TWRP or use adb sideload. Note that if you've modified your /system, you'll need to reflash that partition with the stock image first (there are guides on XDA).
PaulHoule 10y ago
Some of those screenshots make my eyes bleed, particularly the one with the multiple-windows with one of the windows having the painful app selector that pretends to be a window selector. When will we see Android 7 on a third party device?
- 01Michael10 10y ago
  The LG V20 will be the first Android 7 phone which will be reveled on September 6th.
  - PascLeRasc 10y ago
    That's the first phone to ship with it, but I think phones like the LG G5 and S7 could see it earlier than that.
    - JustSomeNobody 10y ago
      Heh. It's Android, so ... no. Unless you mean international versions. No way will the US carriers get the updates through that fast.
- andrewmlevy 10y ago
  We just analyzed Android manufacturers [1] and found they tend to update in two groups: 3 months after release (Motorola, LG, HTC) and 6 months after release (Samsung, Sony, Huawei). This of course ignores Nexus devices by those manufacturers. [1] https://www.apteligent.com/2016/08/apteligent-data-report-android-manufacturer-edition/ https://www.apteligent.com/2016/08/apteligent-data-report-an...
  - robocat 10y ago
    However beware of following the advice given... If a higher percentage of Samsung devices are updated (graph keeps going up), then that would imply you were more likely to get an update. The graph currently emphasises the first mover speed (which is affected by carriers, not just manufacturers).
primo44 10y ago
No Android 7 on my Nexus 5 might just be what pushes me to iOS. I've gone from being an Android evangelist to being an Android apologist ("Yeah, battery life sucks. Google has failed to fix it after X years") to now being, frankly, pissed off that my expensive phone is going to be left behind.
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
- iwintermute 10y ago
  khm, expensive? IIRC nexus 5 had great hardware for it's price.
  - Grazester 10y ago
    Indeed. The Nexus 5 was not expensive relative to the iOS devices he is consider getting. 3 years worth of updates was just about worth the device's price. On another note I hated the Nexus 5 and that LCD screen always felt washed out!
    - luibelgo 10y ago
      N5 is very fast for that price, but camera sucks and plastic frame beaks easily. Not to mention how fragile are side buttons... And screen is quite hard to repair! But hey, for 350 bucks, it's a good deal.
      - zingmars 10y ago
        Not sure if I agree with the screen being hard to repair/replace. I decided to do it a few months back and all it really took was taking all of the parts out, gluing the screen to the frame and putting the parts back in. Had I bought a screen with a frame, all I would've needed to do was transplant the parts from the old frame to the new one. Not difficult at all.
    - tracker1 10y ago
msoucy 10y ago
Meanwhile many phones (especially vendor-locked ones like the Droid Turbo...) are still stuck on Lollipop.
- coredog64 10y ago
  Lollipop? I wish! My Samsung tablet is stuck at KitKat unless I'm willing to try a Cyanogenmod nightly.
  - arvinsim 10y ago
    I wish I didn't update my Nexus 7 2012 to Lollipop. Lollipop made it crawl compared to Kitkat.
    - robocat 10y ago
      Apparently this is due to a hardware issue with the Flash memory (not that that excuses the slow performance!).
    - opayen 10y ago
      You can still go back to Kitkat by resetting it (I did and the performance difference is astonishing).
- igravious 10y ago
  According† to https://developer.android.com/about/dashboards/index.html https://developer.android.com/about/dashboards/index.html The recent Marshmallow has 15.2% market share Lollipop (14.1% + 21.4%) = 35.5% (the greatest share) KitKat has 29.2% (the next greatest share) Jelly Bean† still has (6.0% + 8.3% + 2.4%) = 16.7% Earlier than Jelly Bean is 3.4% of the total share. Jelly Bean was first unveiled in June 2012, four years ago. I think given the development model: large ecosystem of hardware companies, alternative software stacks like Kindle and Cyanogen, a good chunk of it being open-source; given all that I'll forgive Google that we all can't upgrade to Nougat on the day of its release. As a techie you have to know by now that if you want an up to date version of Android you ought to get a Nexus or a brand which has guaranteed frequent into the future updates. There's not much point in claiming that you're "stuck" at this point. † Data collected during a 7-day period ending on August 1, 2016.
cpprototypes 10y ago
Does anyone know how strict is the Google two year update policy for Nexus? It's clear they won't do major releases (such as Android 7.0) for old phones. However, what about critical security updates? For example, if something as bad as Stagefright was discovered, would Google do nothing for all the older Nexus phones out there? Or would something like that be a special exception to the rule?
- elagin 10y ago
  Seems neither Google nor Apple do special exceptions. Out is out. Might install Cyanogen on my Nexus 5 but have to toss my iPhone 4s.
- srathi 10y ago
  Security updates are provided for 3 years. [0] [0] https://android.googleblog.com/2015/08/an-update-to-nexus-devices.html https://android.googleblog.com/2015/08/an-update-to-nexus-de...
  - kartickv 10y ago
    That's from the date of initial introduction. The relevant number is 18 months from the date you bought it.
digi_owl 10y ago
Looking forward to see AOSP reach Android-x86.
0134340 10y ago
Works well on my Nexus Player and happy to see Google is still supporting it.
- ndesaulniers 10y ago
  Fugu got a lot of polish for N.
therealmarv 10y ago
Why did they removed the color correction slider from dev previews? My Nexus 5X has a light yellow tint and the cool color switch is way too cool. Three sliders for RGB would be ideal. Now I still need to flash custom kernels to adjust RGB :|
velox_io 10y ago
1171.5MB for the download alone! It is a shame about the Nexus5 not getting the update, it's still a pretty decent phone and not slow by any means. I broke the screen on my Nexus5 recently so I brought a Nexus6, so far the battery seems to be worse than the N5 (I miss the wireless charging), so I'm looking forward to the battery improvements! Edit: The split screen is a great feature, and not finicky at all. Being able to play videos in the background is going to be one of those features that you cannot live without (OK, it's a first world problem).
frik 10y ago
Global Smartphone Marketshare Q2/2016 Android ... 86.2 iOS ... 12.9 Windows ... 0.6 Blackberry ... 0.1 Other ... 0.2 http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/3415117 http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/3415117
ashitlerferad 10y ago
Why was it wrapped in the first place? Why can't Google do development in the open?
- ivoras 10y ago
  It's called the Osborne effect: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osborne_effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osborne_effect

290 points by raptaml 10y ago

SadWebDeveloper 10y ago

No nexus 5 (not 5x) OTA Update ='(

magila 10y ago
Not really surprising given the device's age, but still disappointing given the presumably rather large number of Nexus 5 still in use. The bigger story may be the inability to come up with a compelling reason for N5 users to upgrade, other than getting the latest OS revision. The N5's compactness in particular makes the 5X (and the impending successor, codenamed "Sailfish") a tough sell.
- jonesetc 10y ago
  It'll be a bummer not using latest android for the first time in many years (HTC G2 -> Nexus 4 -> Nexus 5), but I really can't imagine anything compelling me to pay hundreds of dollars for a new phone for a couple more years. The Nexus 5 has been practically the perfect phone for me.
  - criley2 10y ago
    It's extremely unlikely that the N5 won't get Android 7 through the dedicated efforts of some XDA folks. If you want to save a couple hundred dollars, then maybe it's time to learn about a custom recovery and loading the 7.0 rom yourself! I don't think the factory images are even out yet, so it'll take a bit for them to get a nice stable AOSP+gapps package for you
    - simcop2387 10y ago
      That's my plan for 7 on my 5. I was hoping CopperheadOS would support it but it looks like they're dropping the 5 too (based on quick google search).
  - wastedhours 10y ago
    I'd agree - however after nearly 3 years the speakers on my N5 are nigh on unusable (phonecalls are only really possible with a headset or loudspeaker), the power cable refuses to stay put and tries to make a break for it every 5 minutes, and there's still an annoying bug where the screen is flaky/unresponsive when it is finally plugged in. Not sad about missing out on Nougat at the moment, but the sheer number of N5s I see in the wild it's annoying that a popular phone is being left behind.
    - gpderetta 10y ago
      Same problem, except that my loudspeaker is also busted. Headphones only right now. The damage is possibly my fault as I opened the phone to change the battery (which died in two years), but the lack of an user accessible battery and it's poor battery life are a problem.
    - desas 10y ago
      I have the exact same issues with my N5. I think I'll have to get myself a headset rather than shouting down the speaker phone. I'll feel sad not to be on the leading edge for the first time in years (had Nexus 4 before)
    - devicenull 10y ago
      Do you have the fun issues where the power button sticks, resulting in an endless boot loop? I've resorted to percussive maintenance, which oddly fixes the problem for months at a time.
      - thaumasiotes 10y ago
        I had that issue. When I tried whacking the phone to unstick the power button, it instead entered a state where it can't mount its internal storage and just stays in the (same) booting animation indefinitely because it can't boot. I don't view this as an improvement.
- swiley 10y ago
  That's a pretty crappy excuse, I've had laptops that last for 7 years just fine running Linux.
  - CydeWeys 10y ago
    Laptops aren't mobile phones though. Phones have seen much, much more change in the past seven years than laptops have.
    - swiley 10y ago
      Not in the past couple years though, there is really nothing significantly different in the hardware of a Samsung Galaxy s3 and a Nexus 6. Also, one of those laptops was manufactured in the late 90s.
    - hackbinary 10y ago
      Well, not anymore. Laptops, and computers had huge change from the 70's to the early 2000's. We're going through the same technology change with mobiles now, but that even seems to be tapering off now.
  - khedoros 10y ago
    Let's get closer to comparing apples to apples. Every one of my laptops has lost manufacturer support 1-3 years after I got them...but even my 13 year old laptop will run a current Linux build. Every one of my phones has lost manufacturer support 1-3 years after I got them...but my 5 year old Galaxy Nexus still has Cyanogenmod builds being released for it (based on Marshmallow). With the timelines of when these different markets began, I think that's a fair comparison. Manufacturers want to maintain as few models as possible, but the community often does the work to provide extended support time.
- wlesieutre 10y ago
  > Not really surprising given the device's age Nexus 5 released late 2013, last major OS update in late 2015. Compare to the iPhone 4S, which came out late 2011 and still got iOS 9 (4 years later). Really not buying the "two years is plenty of updates" excuse, especially from the Nexus line.
  - Grazester 10y ago
    When you make your own chipset and dont rely on third party binary updates to enable new features also helps the iphone.
    - Grazester 10y ago
      hmmm http://www.androidauthority.com/android-7-0-snapdragon-800-801-712930/ http://www.androidauthority.com/android-7-0-snapdragon-800-8...
  - datguacdoh 10y ago
    Not entirely fair comparison since the 4S didn't get every feature; it was a paired down version. AFAIK, Google doesn't cherrypick features for older hardware - it's all our nothing. Also, the 4S ran terribly on ios9, to the point that two of my friends with 4S's just gave in and bought new iphones instead.
    - wlesieutre 10y ago
      I ran it myself as a secondary device for phone app testing and didn't have that problem. Maybe as a daily driver I would have had more trouble? In my experience, the bigger issue was designers assuming everyone has the taller iPhone 5 screen size (or worse, iPhone 6) and burning up 95% of the screen with keyboard + giant fixed header + fixed footer. Some apps would give you space for maybe two lines of content in between all that. More of a complaint with 3rd party devs on that though.
    - r00fus 10y ago
      So - what would you prefer, a slower but secure OS on an older phone, or no updates at all? Also the "cherrypick" comment is a bit of a dodge - Google already does security patches for older releases (3 years vs. 2). It would arguably be just as easy to secure one codebase and pare features down for performance.
- Rapzid 10y ago
  This is disappointing to me too. The 5X seems just a tad too large on top of me not needing it as my 5 is still going strong after ~3 years..
- ThatPlayer 10y ago
  The biggest feature I'm looking for that the newer Nexuses don't have over my N5/N7 is Qi wireless charging. My Nexus 7's USB port has been broken for over a year now, and I've been using a wireless charger all this time. It just seems like a good idea to reduce the wear and tear on the USB ports if I want to continue using the phone for years.
  - lewisl9029 10y ago
    This is the same reason why I haven't bothered to upgrade yet also. Wireless charging is the killer feature for wireless devices in my opinion. I can't wait for the day when every one of my devices and wireless peripherals supports wireless charging, so I can just lay them down on a large charging pad when I'm not using them and never have to worry about not having a full battery when I pick it up for use, or have to fumble with plugging wire into every single device.
  - blisterpeanuts 10y ago
    Plus there are charging tables in some Starbucks; it's so handy to just lay your device on the table and top it off. Why did they take that feature away? :( There's a way to add wireless charging to your 5X if you're handy with a soldering iron, though. https://youtu.be/WimH8g-H2lE https://youtu.be/WimH8g-H2lE
    - jevinskie 10y ago
      That is a really cool and simple hack. Take a wireless charging coil + support circuitry and simply tap that into the USB +5V and ground? It all sounds too easy!
- thaumasiotes 10y ago
  > Not really surprising given the device's age, but still disappointing given the presumably rather large number of Nexus 5 still in use. My Nexus 5 was in use up until a couple of weeks ago. Then it entered a state where, when plugged in, it rebooted in an eternal loop and, when not plugged in, it shut off. Judging by the internet, this is a common problem for them. I followed the advice I found in multiple places of trying to dislodge the Nexus 5's stuck power button by whacking it against a soft object. That worked -- it will now try to boot, fail to mount the hard drive, and just keep displaying the booting animation forever. It can boot into the bootloader and recovery mode, and I can flash a new recovery image in fastboot, or at least I can issue the command and see a report of success, but on reboot I just get the old recovery mode. So... I guess I do have a compelling reason to upgrade, although the N5 was satisfactory in every other way. My Nexus 4 still works fine, but it's gotten much puffier than it should be, and apparently it's impossible to get a new battery for it. :(
  - viraptor 10y ago
    If you have another device to wait a month with, at least you can upgrade to the 2016 line instead of 5x/6p. Gives you another 3 years, not 2.
    - robocat 10y ago
      I think it is 2 years for major updates (from release), 3 years for security updates (from release), or 18 months for security updates from end of life. Unless you are unlucky enough to get a device that they can't update due to drivers (Texas Instruments CPU).
helloworld 10y ago
Also, no update for the Nexus 7 (2013) tablet: http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/08/android-nougat-drops-support-for-nexus-5-and-2013-nexus-7/ http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/08/android-nougat-drops-... [I]t's too bad that the support lifecycle of the most consistently updated Android devices is so much shorter than what Apple achieves with iOS, especially since the hardware should still be more than capable of supporting Nougat.
- pasbesoin 10y ago
  My 2013 Nexus 7 is perfectly fine... except for now being left behind, software-wise. I bought once / as soon as I learned that its successor had not been worth waiting for. So, I got significantly less than 3 years out of it. Would have bought the successor, except... Guess I'll be rooting it. And buying Apple, next time.
  - ZenoArrow 10y ago
    Android 6 is very likely to be supported for quite some time by app developers, it's not like you're missing out on much by not running the latest version of the OS.
    - karma_vaccum123 10y ago
      Exactly! I own this device and still use it often...I see no reason to stop using it. It received a security patch just recently, and I don't feel that missing out on further updates will impact watching YouTube videos
  - ConroyBumpus 10y ago
    Things are tough all over. Signed, person that bought a first generation iPad.
    - pasbesoin 10y ago
      Yeah. First world problem, or whatever. But, like my 2013 Moto X, it's irritating to get less than 2 years out of a multiple hundred dollar product that otherwise is fine. And I would have bought the successor to the Nexus 7, except there was none, really -- nothing comparable and problem free (in addition to the price bump and larger size, the 9 had issues, initially, IIRC). And... after the Moto X, and observing how quickly my parents' Samsung tablet on Verizon was abandoned, I wasn't willing to get a tablet other than a Nexus, i.e. one receiving support and updates directly from Google. My point, finally, is that even going Nexus is no longer a way to get reasonable support for a product, it seems. I've gotten pretty tired of Google and company's game of musical chairs, with respect to hardware. ---- P.S. I post these comments, occasionally, here on HN also because I know Googlers still swing by and read them. The only means of feedback I've ever found to Google. Enough people push enough negativity through Google's version of the reality distortion field, and at least an initiative gets launched. Thing is, Google, you need to stick with it -- one of them -- sooner or later.
Longhanks 10y ago
Shame on Google. iPhone 5 was released a year before it (September 2012) and is going to receive iOS 10 in a few weeks. This is just laziness on Google's side.
- mtgx 10y ago
  And Qualcomm, etc. They tend to support their own chips for about 18 months.
- JohnTHaller 10y ago
  Nexus 5 launch price: US$349 iPhone 5 launch price: US$649 A phone nearly twice the price should be supported quite a lot longer.
  - danieldk 10y ago
    But it's not quite a bit longer, but much longer. The last major update for the Nexus 5 was Marshmallow. Mashmallow was released in October 2015, the Nexus 5 was released in October 2013. So, one got major updates for 24 months iff you bought it on release day and you were lucky to be in a region where it was available in in October 2013. The iPhone 5s was released in approximately the same timeframe (September 2013). It gets iOS 10 and will probably receive iOS 11 as well (since the 5 gets 10 and they now seem to drop one generation per release). So, that will give major updates at least until 2017, or four years. I am not sure why we find this acceptable anyway. When we buy a $300-400 Windows x86 laptop, we also expect it to be upgradable for a decade or so (which is usually possible).
    - JohnTHaller 10y ago
      The Nexus 5 was released in October 2013 and was on the most up to date version of Android through August 2016. It will continue to get security updates. Plus it will continue to get updates to Google Services (a chunk of what we think of as Android) and the core apps including the default browser. Unlike Apple, Google doesn't really do the 'you get the next version but a bunch of new features are disabled' thing. The fact that Google Services, core apps, Chrome, and other things will continue to get updates does feel vaguely reminiscent of it, though.

qznc 10y ago

Personally, I don't care for any [0] of the new features. This is the greatest feature, because it means Android is mature now. [0] Sure, better performance is always nice, but I don't care for Vulkan, VR Mode, or Multi-Window.

russjr08 10y ago
The Doze improvements look nice to me.
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
- ianlevesque 10y ago
  This is the most significant update, way way overdue.
  - twblalock 10y ago
    Seriously. I switched back to an iPhone from Lollipop earlier this year, and the difference in battery life is staggering, even though the iPhone has a smaller battery than the Android phone I used to have. I'm glad that Google has signaled that they are going to further tighten the restrictions on background app activities in future releases. I hope they follow through with it.
    - kuschku 10y ago
      And with this, they just killed all actual apps for Android. Anything you can do with an app you can do as well with a website. Any actual app, not just a website in form of an app, which did computational task, data recording, or kept services available, is impossible to create now. Run tracking app that doesn’t require you uploading your GPS data to Google Fit? Impossible. Messaging app that doesn’t route all your private messages through Google Cloud Messaging? Impossible. EDIT: before downvoting, read the comment below from morsch, he and I explained there pretty well the issues.

dang 10y ago

Also https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12337538 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12337538 and https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12338381 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12338381. If there's a clearly better URL, we can consider swapping the current one out.

ymse 10y ago

Just a shout-out to the fine folks over at CopperheadOS[0]who have been doing a lot of behind-the-scenes hardening in Android over the last year[1]. If you have a Nexus device and don't care much for the Play Store applications (F-Droid is included) give it a go for a true AOSP experience. The only apps I'm really missing are Tasker and Signal, but I have a second phone for those. 0: https://copperhead.co/android/ https://copperhead.co/android/ 1: https://copperhead.co/android/docs/technical_overview https://copperhead.co/android/docs/technical_overview

koevet 10y ago
Can't you install the Signal apk directly, from apkmirror[0] ? 0: http://www.apkmirror.com/apk/open-whisper-systems/signal-private-messenger/signal-private-messenger-3-3-0-release/signal-private-messenger-3-3-0-android-apk-download/ http://www.apkmirror.com/apk/open-whisper-systems/signal-pri...
- tdkl 10y ago
  It needs Google Play Services for push notifications over GCM.
- hackuser 10y ago
  Re: APKMirror: I have the same questions I have about all APK proxy services - which claim to pull the APKs directly form the Play Store - why would I trust it to provide software that isn't infected with malware? Other than APK Downloader, I haven't found another credible source among the very many options. Any solutions would be appreciated. ---- [0] APK Downloader, for those interested ... I'd start with the original, but the others might suit your needs: * redphoenix89's original here: http://codekiem.com/2014/08/07/official-apk-downloader-v2-download-apk-files-from-google-play-store-to-pc/ http://codekiem.com/2014/08/07/official-apk-downloader-v2-do... and here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1515021 http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1515021 * Bexton's updated Chrome extension, based on v1.21: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1809458 http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1809458 * Lekensteyn updated Chrome extension, based on v1.3.4 of Bexton's: https://lekensteyn.nl/apk-downloader/ https://lekensteyn.nl/apk-downloader/ and https://github.com/Lekensteyn/apk-downloader https://github.com/Lekensteyn/apk-downloader

Ologn 10y ago

> Multi-Window support lets users run two apps at the same time (click the Multi-Window support link) > If your app targets API level 23 or lower and the user attempts to use the app in multi-window mode, the system forcibly resizes the app unless the app declares a fixed orientation. > If your app does not declare a fixed orientation, you should launch your app on a device running Android 7.0 or higher and attempt to put the app in split-screen mode. Verify that the user experience is acceptable when the app is forcibly resized. Great, more nonsense being shoved down Android developer's throats. They still claim that newer versions and new features are not breaking their API - if this is the case, why would an app on Google Play from a year ago need the developer to "verify that the user experience is acceptable" just because they published a new version with a new feature? It's been almost nine years since Android released its initial SDK and they're still playing cowboy stuff like this. This feature should be turned on for apps targeting Nougat or later, you shouldn't make every Android developer check every app ever made because three people on the Android developer team made a new feature and can't wait for its use to become more widespread, so they turn it on by default for legacy (pre-Nougat targeted) apps.

GrinningFool 10y ago
My uninformed guess would say that a sampling of a significant number of apps showed that they rendered fine, and they deemed it worth the trade-off that some may not. The logic probably went along the lines of: it's better for the user to have this feature that works with X% of what they already have installed than to force them to wait for the developers of each and every app to decide if/when they want to get around to updating.
- Ologn 10y ago
  > a sampling of a significant number of apps showed that they rendered fine The problem is they break the API all the time, and this leaves Google Play strewn with broken apps. This may break 1% of apps, the next release breaks another 1%, after 10 releases, 10% of the apps not updated are broken. Here's an example, I go to Google Play and search for "ringtone maker" ( https://play.google.com/store/search?q=ringtone%20maker https://play.google.com/store/search?q=ringtone%20maker ). The #3 result for me (which can vary by location) is https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.anbu.ringtonemaker https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.anbu.ringt... . So I download the app, click the microphone, say something, hit stop and - "java.io.IOException: Unknown file format". This is their 3rd result for ringtone maker, has over 5 million downloads and yet their record feature is broken. It used to work but Google changed the API. You can look at the app source code ( https://github.com/malizadehq/ringdroid https://github.com/malizadehq/ringdroid ) to see where this app broke if you want. This is just one example which comes to mind, I can think of many. They claim they don't break the API going forward but they do all the time.

UncleChis 10y ago

Did I read it right: Nexus Player is in the list of OTA update? I thought the device is dead? Anyone has a link of Nougat for Android TV?

Navarr 10y ago
I've been running the beta - which is a terrible idea on a day-to-day Nexus Player. It does not prompt you for updates - it just updates. This is fine if you're on a stable channel. This is not great when it's your primary entertainment resource on a beta channel. However, it's pretty nice? I know it has some added features but it doesn't really feel much different in 7 than it did in 6. I haven't had a chance to use PiP or anything like that.
- ndesaulniers 10y ago
  A lot of love went into player for N. It's in better shape than in M.
  - chambo622 10y ago
    This makes me want to buy one to replace my ADT-1...which is not easy to do these days. I sure hope there is a future for standalone Android TV boxes that aren't as expensive and large as the Shield.
awill 10y ago
It is dead. But Google are required to meet their OTA promise. 2 years for major updates, 3 years for security updates.
terinjokes 10y ago
I'm still awaiting my updates to my Google TV!

jacquesc 10y ago

Using the beta for the last couple weeks (easy to install on nexus via android.com/beta), I really like the notification improvements in 7.0. They are grouped by app now, which makes things easier to navigate, and the new clean styling of the notification content makes it more pleasant to read.

roschdal 10y ago

Is there a way to force update to Android 7 on Nexus 6P now?

demetris 10y ago
I read that the following works: 1. Sign up for the Android beta programme: g.co/androidbeta 2. Enroll your Nexus 3. Unenroll after you have been updated to Android 7 Make sure you are actually on Android 7 before unenrolling. Going out of a regular beta will wipe your phone! Cheers Edit: Copy/Paste sandGorgon’s warning from below.
- sandGorgon 10y ago
  This just worked for me. Warning : make sure you are actually on Android 7 before unenrolling. Going out of a regular beta will wipe your phone.
amyjess 10y ago
Android Police posts the OTA images as people send them in. It looks like the 6P image is available: http://www.androidpolice.com/2016/08/22/flash-all-the-things-full-android-7-0-nougat-nexus-ota-roundup/ http://www.androidpolice.com/2016/08/22/flash-all-the-things... Download it to your device, and either flash it in TWRP or use adb sideload. Note that if you've modified your /system, you'll need to reflash that partition with the stock image first (there are guides on XDA).

PaulHoule 10y ago

Some of those screenshots make my eyes bleed, particularly the one with the multiple-windows with one of the windows having the painful app selector that pretends to be a window selector. When will we see Android 7 on a third party device?

01Michael10 10y ago
The LG V20 will be the first Android 7 phone which will be reveled on September 6th.
- PascLeRasc 10y ago
  That's the first phone to ship with it, but I think phones like the LG G5 and S7 could see it earlier than that.
  - JustSomeNobody 10y ago
    Heh. It's Android, so ... no. Unless you mean international versions. No way will the US carriers get the updates through that fast.
andrewmlevy 10y ago
We just analyzed Android manufacturers [1] and found they tend to update in two groups: 3 months after release (Motorola, LG, HTC) and 6 months after release (Samsung, Sony, Huawei). This of course ignores Nexus devices by those manufacturers. [1] https://www.apteligent.com/2016/08/apteligent-data-report-android-manufacturer-edition/ https://www.apteligent.com/2016/08/apteligent-data-report-an...
- robocat 10y ago
  However beware of following the advice given... If a higher percentage of Samsung devices are updated (graph keeps going up), then that would imply you were more likely to get an update. The graph currently emphasises the first mover speed (which is affected by carriers, not just manufacturers).

primo44 10y ago

No Android 7 on my Nexus 5 might just be what pushes me to iOS. I've gone from being an Android evangelist to being an Android apologist ("Yeah, battery life sucks. Google has failed to fix it after X years") to now being, frankly, pissed off that my expensive phone is going to be left behind.

deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
iwintermute 10y ago
khm, expensive? IIRC nexus 5 had great hardware for it's price.
- Grazester 10y ago
  Indeed. The Nexus 5 was not expensive relative to the iOS devices he is consider getting. 3 years worth of updates was just about worth the device's price. On another note I hated the Nexus 5 and that LCD screen always felt washed out!
  - luibelgo 10y ago
    N5 is very fast for that price, but camera sucks and plastic frame beaks easily. Not to mention how fragile are side buttons... And screen is quite hard to repair! But hey, for 350 bucks, it's a good deal.
    - zingmars 10y ago
      Not sure if I agree with the screen being hard to repair/replace. I decided to do it a few months back and all it really took was taking all of the parts out, gluing the screen to the frame and putting the parts back in. Had I bought a screen with a frame, all I would've needed to do was transplant the parts from the old frame to the new one. Not difficult at all.
  - tracker1 10y ago

msoucy 10y ago

Meanwhile many phones (especially vendor-locked ones like the Droid Turbo...) are still stuck on Lollipop.

coredog64 10y ago
Lollipop? I wish! My Samsung tablet is stuck at KitKat unless I'm willing to try a Cyanogenmod nightly.
- arvinsim 10y ago
  I wish I didn't update my Nexus 7 2012 to Lollipop. Lollipop made it crawl compared to Kitkat.
  - robocat 10y ago
    Apparently this is due to a hardware issue with the Flash memory (not that that excuses the slow performance!).
  - opayen 10y ago
    You can still go back to Kitkat by resetting it (I did and the performance difference is astonishing).
igravious 10y ago
According† to https://developer.android.com/about/dashboards/index.html https://developer.android.com/about/dashboards/index.html The recent Marshmallow has 15.2% market share Lollipop (14.1% + 21.4%) = 35.5% (the greatest share) KitKat has 29.2% (the next greatest share) Jelly Bean† still has (6.0% + 8.3% + 2.4%) = 16.7% Earlier than Jelly Bean is 3.4% of the total share. Jelly Bean was first unveiled in June 2012, four years ago. I think given the development model: large ecosystem of hardware companies, alternative software stacks like Kindle and Cyanogen, a good chunk of it being open-source; given all that I'll forgive Google that we all can't upgrade to Nougat on the day of its release. As a techie you have to know by now that if you want an up to date version of Android you ought to get a Nexus or a brand which has guaranteed frequent into the future updates. There's not much point in claiming that you're "stuck" at this point. † Data collected during a 7-day period ending on August 1, 2016.

cpprototypes 10y ago

Does anyone know how strict is the Google two year update policy for Nexus? It's clear they won't do major releases (such as Android 7.0) for old phones. However, what about critical security updates? For example, if something as bad as Stagefright was discovered, would Google do nothing for all the older Nexus phones out there? Or would something like that be a special exception to the rule?

elagin 10y ago
Seems neither Google nor Apple do special exceptions. Out is out. Might install Cyanogen on my Nexus 5 but have to toss my iPhone 4s.
srathi 10y ago
Security updates are provided for 3 years. [0] [0] https://android.googleblog.com/2015/08/an-update-to-nexus-devices.html https://android.googleblog.com/2015/08/an-update-to-nexus-de...
- kartickv 10y ago
  That's from the date of initial introduction. The relevant number is 18 months from the date you bought it.

digi_owl 10y ago

Looking forward to see AOSP reach Android-x86.

0134340 10y ago

Works well on my Nexus Player and happy to see Google is still supporting it.

ndesaulniers 10y ago
Fugu got a lot of polish for N.

therealmarv 10y ago

Why did they removed the color correction slider from dev previews? My Nexus 5X has a light yellow tint and the cool color switch is way too cool. Three sliders for RGB would be ideal. Now I still need to flash custom kernels to adjust RGB :|

velox_io 10y ago

1171.5MB for the download alone! It is a shame about the Nexus5 not getting the update, it's still a pretty decent phone and not slow by any means. I broke the screen on my Nexus5 recently so I brought a Nexus6, so far the battery seems to be worse than the N5 (I miss the wireless charging), so I'm looking forward to the battery improvements! Edit: The split screen is a great feature, and not finicky at all. Being able to play videos in the background is going to be one of those features that you cannot live without (OK, it's a first world problem).

frik 10y ago

Global Smartphone Marketshare Q2/2016 Android ... 86.2 iOS ... 12.9 Windows ... 0.6 Blackberry ... 0.1 Other ... 0.2 http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/3415117 http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/3415117

ashitlerferad 10y ago

Why was it wrapped in the first place? Why can't Google do development in the open?

ivoras 10y ago
It's called the Osborne effect: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osborne_effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osborne_effect