The next version of Android is officially ‘Nougat’

Abner Li | Jun 30 2016 - 9:31 am PT

Update: A video from the statue unwrapping officially confirms that Nougat is Android 7.0.

The next version of Android (which has been in Developer Preview since earlier this year) is officially called Nougat. A ceremony at the Googleplex this morning unveiled the Android figurine simply standing on top of a nougat bar. Unfortunately, the announcement did not come with an official version number or a launch date.

The exact version number — widely expected to be 7.0 thanks to a hint in the latest Developer Preview — has yet to be confirmed, but should be coming soon as the last preview goes live (likely sometime in the middle of next month).

A nougat is chewy candy bar with a variety of roasted nuts and bits of fruit within, and the official statue is an Android surrounded by nougat bars that double as a bench. In a poll, nougat was the number one pick among 9to5Google readers. Interestingly, it appears that Google did not go with the widely assumed and recognizable Nutella name, a la the branding partnership that was Android 4.4 KitKat.

Over the course of four Developer Previews, Android Nougat has become quite stable. Starting with DP3 announced at I/O, Android N entered beta and has been largely stable enough for people to use as a daily driver. Nougat will bring a new notifications shade and much-needed multi-screen capabilities for phones and tablets, along with more features.