Android N is still in its developer preview mode and while many of the updates that have been coming in have actually brought nothing significant, the upcoming update is set to make some really noticeable changes to the Marshmallow successor.
Some may be quick to point out that Google is saving the best for last thanks to the fact that Android N should be nearing its official release. If all the latest reports are to be believed, the next version of the OS might come in with a redesigned home and navigation buttons.
Android N will go through five developer preview releases before it is finally rolled out. The current version is the fourth release and after the release of the next version, the OS will then be sent to OEMs. Hopefully, the rollout process will not take time as it has been the case with Android 6.0 Marshmallow, which has only reached a mere 10% of all Android devices.
Google surprised its Android community when it rolled out the first developer preview of Android N in March, something that usually happens in May at its annual Google I/O developer conference. While expectations were high that the search engine giant will release the stable version at its developer conference, we only saw a public beta come into play. Up to now, very minimal changes have been coming in as far as redesigns and new features are concerned. However, Phone Arena has reason to believe that Google is saving a number of design changes for last, but this cannot be verified in any case.
From the leaked images, the navigation buttons have not changed a bit in terms of shape, but they are now filled in white. The Home button also takes a similar redesign, with a white fill and the four Google colors – red, green, yellow and blue – bulging outwards. Apparently, the colors animate whenever the Home button is pressed.
Whether Google is planning to integrate Google Now, Now on Tap, or its Google Assistant into this redesigned home button on Android N is still a guess. Who knows, this could end up being a simple button facelift, especially since Phone Arena further adds that the keys will still retain the same functionality as what is available on Android Marshmallow.
As noted earlier, the information relayed in this article cannot be verified in any way. However, we can assure that Android N is just around the corner unless Google has some changes on its fall release date. The OS will come alongside the 2016 Google Nexus phones, which are rumored to be manufactured by HTC.