Android Nougat release date, news: Google rolls out devs preview for Nexus phones; S7 users to get OS preview

Jessica Ferrera Friday, November 25, 2016

Android Nougat is slowly making its way to more Android smartphones. | Facebook/AndroidOfficial

Google has recently rolled out an update to the Android 7.1.1 Developer Preview while Samsung will let their customers experience the operating system (OS) through the Galaxy Beta Program app.

In a statement earlier this week, Android's vice president of engineering David Burke said, "With Developer Preview 2, you can make sure your apps are ready for Android 7.1.1 and the consumers that will soon be running it on their devices. As highlighted in October, we're also expanding the range of devices that can receive this Developer Preview update to Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus 9, and Pixel C."

The latest version of the Developer Preview gives developers the chance to complete testing their app before Android 7.1.1 gets finally released. Burke also revealed that Android 7.1.1 is slated to be released sometime next month to the earlier mentioned Android phones and Google's very own Pixel and Pixel XL.

On the other hand, Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge users can have the chance to get a preview of the operating system before their mobile devices get their own updates. To do this, Galaxy Beta Program needs to be installed on the user's Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge.

It is exclusively available for the specific mobile, thus, it is not available in the Google Play Store and can only be found in the Galaxy Apps store. Users just need to search for "Galaxy Beta Program."

However, it will not get in action right away. There is some time needed to register and to be granted access to the preview. Upon starting the Galaxy Beta Program, users need to select the "Registration" option and follow the succeeding instructions.

After registering in the program, users will need to wait for the update. Once registration is approved, a software update notification will be available.

According to the online news outlet Android Central, the final Android 7.0 Nougat update for Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge could come in late December or early January next year. That is considering that the beta program will reportedly continue until mid-December.