Android 7.1 Will Rely Heavily on the Cloud, Make It Easier to Switch from iPhone

It was recently announced, at Google’s keynote, that the newest update to Nougat, version 7.1, is coming very soon.

Android 7.1, which will first be available on Google’s new Pixel phones, is chiefly meant to bring some innovative new features to the Android platform, and especially to Google’s new flagship, according to The Verge.

Nougat, among other things, will lean heavily on the cloud. The version of Android 7.1 that will ship with Google’s Pixel phones will have a feature that will automatically offload items such as photos and videos from your phone to the cloud — freeing up space in the phone’s internal storage. Also, Pixel phones will receive software updates directly from Google, automatically and in the background as soon as they are available, according to Engadget.

As for non-Pixel phones, Nougat will come with a host of cosmetic updates — like more system themes, unique navigation icons, and a dynamic calendar date icon, as well as a Night Light option that’s akin to Apple’s Night Shift feature. Nougat will also get touch and display improvements, Daydream VR support, fingerprint scanner gestures, and developer-focused improvements across all Android phones, The Verge reported.

And, according to Bloomberg, Android 7.1 will also feature pro camera effects and instant chat support. Android 7.1 will also feature built-in customer support — which you can use to screen-share directly with a customer service representative to let them get a better handle on what’s wrong with your device. In an obvious dig at Apple, Google also implemented tools in Pixel’s OS that would make it easier for users to switch over data, contacts and messages — even normally Apple-exclusive iMessages.

Google didn’t say when the new version of Nougat would rollout to non-Pixel devices, but the OS update will first debut on the tech giant’s Pixel and Pixel XL later this month.