HTC Announces Android 7.0 Nougat For HTC One M9; S7 and S7 Edge to Have 7.0 Upgrade Soon?

HTC One M9 phones will finally get their much-awaited software update after HTC announced that an over-the-air update of the Android 7.0 Nougat will be available for unlocked HTC One M9.

According to Android Authority, the announcement came out through HTC's Twitter channel, and also mentions that carrier-locked HTC One M9 will get their Android 7.0 Nougat update in early 2017. Several weeks ago, HTC also announced a similar update for unlocked HTC 10 phones. HTC One A9 users will also have the Android 7.0 Nougat update, but no specific date has been announced.

Android Nougat is rolling out to the unlocked #HTCOneM9 in the USA soon! Stay tuned as we’re working hard to bring it to other areas. pic.twitter.com/0OOHsf31iE

— HTC (@htc) December 5, 2016

The Android 7.0 Nougat packs a lot of different features, like a dual screen feature and the ability to use two languages at the same time. Android 7.0 Nougat will also feature over 1500 emoji with 72 additional ones from the Nougat update.

 Through the Multi Locale Language feature of the Android 7.0 Nougat, HTC One M9 users will be able to switch between several languages easier. This feature allows users to switch between languages by simply pressing on the on-screen keyboard, instead of going through settings every time they need to switch languages.

The Android 7.0 Nougat also boasts a multi-window feature, which will help HTC One M9 users move through applications with ease while keeping another application running. The multi-window feature -- also called split-view -- will allow users to use two different applications at the same time, splitting the screen into two different interfaces

Android 7.0 Nougat will also support Vulkan API for better 3D performances on supported devices. Until Andorid 7.0 Nougat, Android supported OpenGL ES. Vulkan API offers a lower overhead API compared to Open GL, providing better 3D rendering and relying less on GPU optimization.

Older android phones will likely have an OS upgrade soon but will take a while. In Android Authority's report, less the one percent of Android phones have upgraded to the Android 7.0 Nougat, with the HTC One M9 units being the latest android line to make the upgrade. Samsung is also currently beta testing the Nougat update for Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge phones.