First impressions of Android 7.0 Nougat

I downloaded and installed Android 7.0 Nougat on my Nexus 6P on Monday 08/29/16. Nougat is Google’s most recent version of Android, and I had to opt into the Google Beta program to get the OTA prompt for Android 7.0 on my Nexus 6p. Over the past week, I have used my Nexus 6P and Android 7.0 as my daily driver. To make sure we are all on the same page, this article is not a full review.  I am firmly of the opinion that you cannot complete comprehensive product in only a few days. Instead, this article is my first impressions and thoughts on Android’s “sweetest version yet”.

The Good

• App “quick switching” by double tapping overview
• Drop down menu and notification shade
• Quick Reply
• Battery life improvements

Android Nougat comes packed with many new features which help boost productivity. I found myself integrating “quick reply” and “app quick switching” into my everyday use almost immediately. Both of these features have improved the way I navigate my phone in a noticeable way.

After the first day with Nougat, I found myself digging into the capabilities the new drop-down menu/notification shade. While you could always use a two finger swipe to access your quick settings menu, their placement at the top of the notification shade is extremely handy and feels very natural to use.

The biggest improvement I have seen since upgrading to Nougat is the battery life. Since the beginning of July I have seen deteriorating battery life with my Nexus 6P on Marshmellow, often only averaging 2hrs of screen on time. However, the day I upgraded to Nougat, I saw over 3 hours of screen on time, and since I have averaged around 3.5 hours.

The Bad

While there is a lot of “good” packed into Android Nougat, I have had two major connectivity issues since updating last Monday. My first issue happens randomly throughout the day and causes me to lose all cell service. In addition to the cell service loss, my phone’s WiFi will look like it’s connected but when trying to access things that require data, nothing will load. The only fix I have found for this issue so far is completely restarting my phone.

The second issue is less critical when it comes to daily functionality, but still annoying nevertheless. Whenever I get into my car, my phone will automatically pair with my radio via Bluetooth. While it appears to connect correctly since my radio will display accurate song, battery and signal strength, no audio will play through the car’s stereo. After troubleshooting this issue, the only solution that will achieve the desired result is completely restarting the phone AFTER I have started the car and it is looking for my device.

I had heard many people were having battery issues after updating to the Nexus 6P but had heard nothing about connectivity. Since my battery performance had improved, I began looking around the forums to see if the problem was with my device rather than the update. After reading around a bit, connectivity issues after updating to Nougat were not unheard of on the 6P. I found a list of suggested fixes that I will attempt later in the week.

Final Thoughts

Android 7.0 Nougat offers a lot to the user when it comes to productivity. New features like quick switching, quick reply, and the new notifications shade make an immediate impact on how you use your device. I was not only able to get tasks done quicker, but I was also able to do more with extra battery life. Nougat is still in its “infancy” though and appears to be plagued with early bugs for some that will impact your day to day usage. Personally,  unless I can successfully resolve my connectivity issues soon, I may be forced to change devices and wait for Nougat’s first patch before making the switch permanently.