OnePlus 3 to get Nougat update before end of 2016

Sometimes we wish all manufacturers roll out Android updates as quickly as they can. One company who is trying to get it right is OnePlus. After merging its two separate software teams (the China-only HydrogenOS and OxygenOS), OnePlus has announced that OnePlus 3 owners will be getting the community build of Android 7.0 Nougat in the next few weeks, while the final build will be out before the end of the year. OnePlus 2 users will have to wait a bit, the phone is promised to be getting Nougat also but there is no specific timeframe for it.

Source: Android Police

Samsung’s Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge get Android Nougat through beta program

The Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are finally getting the Android Nougat treatment, kind of. Samsung announced that users can access Google’s latest software update via the Galaxy Beta Program. It gives us hope that the full version of the operating system is coming soon. Aside from being limited to beta users, it is currently only available to users in the US, UK, Korea, and soon China.

If you’re in any of these countries you can apply for the program by downloading the Galaxy Beta Program app or the Samsung Members app. The program is on a first-come, first-served basis and spots are reportedly running out so it might be best to apply as soon as you can.

Source: CNET

These are the Daydream VR hardware requirements

If you’re curious what kinds of phone will work with Google’s Daydream VR experience, Google released the Android 7.0 Compatibility Definition Document that shows in detail the criteria phones must meet to run in “high performance” VR mode.

And while the documents outline the exact numbers involving display latency, video capabilities, and OpenGL features, Android Central outlined the basic specs you will see: Bluetooth 4.2 LE, displays between 4.7 and 6 inches, at least 1080p @ 60Hz resolution display with 3ms or less latency and 5ms or less persistence (with Quad HD or higher recommended), OpenGL ES 3.2 and Vulkan, capable of decoding two instances of 60fps video simultaneously, consistent 60fps rendering, and temperature sensors capable of reading device surface temperature. At the moment only the Google Pixel and Pixel XL are considered Daydream-ready but we are expecting more devices from other Android manufacturers soon.

Google gets rid of fingerprint gestures and Night Mode for non-Pixel Nexus devices

Looks like Google is really trying to push Pixel as a special device. The older Nexus devices are losing some key features, including fingerprint sensor gesture support, Night Light Mode/Night Mode. It’s understandable that Google will want to elevate Pixel and features like fingerprint gestures isn’t exactly supported by older Nexus devices. But dropping Night Light Mode/Night Mode is a bit off to us. This feature works like Night Shift on iOS, where it turns down the blue light the screens emit as the sun goes down. Night Mode was introduced to Android 7.0 Nougat, while Night Light is exclusive to Pixel on Android 7.1

According to Googler Ian Lake, Night Light does the color tinting through hardware that isn’t seen on the Nexus. But we can’t think of why they’d get rid of Night Mode since it’s a software solution. And according to SlashGear, it seems Night Mode has even been removed in Android 7.1, too. This leaves even the Nexus 5X and 6P without this feature. We hope Google rethinks this strategy.