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After what has seemed like quite a long time, Google has finally released the final version of Android 7.0 (Nougat). This means there are no more developer preview hurdles to have to go through and instead, users can now make use of the next version of Android in all its glory. In addition to the ton of improvements to the already existing features on offer with Android, there is also a number of new features on offer with Nougat. For a more detailed breakdown of (nearly) everything that is on offer with Nougat, click here.
Of course, this does mean if you own one of the compatible Nexus devices, then it is time to start updating to Nougat and how you do this will largely depend on whether you have gone through the process of updating to the developer previews already. If you are running the last preview version and are part of the Android Beta Program, then this is a rather simple OTA update to apply. If not, then you will be looking at downloading and installing the full update either as a factory image, OTA or by joining up to the Android Beta Program and updating straight from Marshmallow to Nougat. Which does actually point out one of the early benefits of being part of the developer preview process.
Although the experience is considered to be more beta (aka buggy) during the developer preview process, the final update ends up being far more easier to apply. For instance, as 14irahtom on reddit points out (image above right), if you are updating from Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) to Android 7.0 (Nougat), then it looks like the update will come in at a little over 1GB (1174.7 MB). While as we experienced when updating (image below left) from the Developer Preview 5 to this latest final version (the update size was only 52.4 MB). Substantially smaller than updating by applying the entirety of Nougat in one go. While this won’t be a massive help to people now, it is worth considering when the next version of Android and the next developer preview program commences. Especially, if you do want to save yourself a massive update in the long run. So if you are already running the latest developer preview of Android Nougat and waiting for your OTA update to arrive, rest assured when it does arrive it will be a fairly simple, quick and easy update to apply. If you are still running Marshmallow, expect quite a lengthy update unfortunately.