Review: Android N (Beta)

And now for something completely different. Here’s my Android N Review!

  • N is all about task switching and quality of life improvements. Android now has its own native multitasking implementation, notifications have no padding and has improved tree-style handling, quick replies, nightmode, customizable quick controls and so on.
  • Task switching is superior simply because of the performance. Double-tapping the recents button gives you Alt+Tab powers on your phone, and it does so instantly. It’s so good that you can confidently switch between apps while they all load or if you need to move data back and forth manually for some reason.
  • Multitasking has the same kind of treatment. It works like Samsung’s, but it’s just plain faster and smoother. It works on all apps, it doesn’t refresh apps awkwardly, and it’s not bothersome to use. It works well even on videos so you can YouTube while you read threads or post dank memes. Oh and it just works.
  • N does have a small performance hit and a noticeable battery impact. It is after all a beta.
  • Having the native DPI switch is awesome since I hate editinng my build.prop or sending ADB commands to make more things fit in my screen. More smaller options would be nice though.
  • Native nightmode is a great feature to have. It makes your screen easier to read while at a dim light or with no lights at all, and essentially works like F.lux. All in all, things are looking well for Google. I hope to see more updates in the future, seeing how Google I/O would be coming up soon (next week!)
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