Android engineering Vice president Dave Burke has confirmed that the upcoming Android 7.1 Developer Preview will become available to Nexus devices “later this month”.
In a post on the Android developer blog, he said: “Initially, we’ll offer the Developer Preview for Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, and Pixel C devices, extending to other supported devices by the end of the preview. At the final release of the Android 7.1.x platform, due in early December, we’ll roll out updates to the full lineup of supported devices ‘ Nexus 6, 5X, 6P, 9, Player, Pixel C, and supported Android One devices ‘ as well as Pixel and Pixel XL devices,” wrote Burke.
Currently, the software update is only available on Pixel handsets. It brings new features such as an enhanced artificial intelligence assistant and user interface tweaks. Users of the older Nexus 6 and 5X will be happy to know that the update is coming, as it provides further future-proofing to an otherwise outdated handset.
Some of the features included in the Android 7.1 update, such as Daydream will only be available for specific devices. It’s highly unlikely that those running on older hardware will support the feature, which needs modern chipsets and sensors to work effectively.
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