Developer gets Android 7.0 working on Nexus 5

A developer has gotten Android 7 Nougat working on a Nexus 5. The LG smartphone from 2013 will not receive an update from Google to the operating system, which will be released this week as an update for newer Nexus devices.

The firmware is not yet suitable for daily use, warns the developer on XDA-Developers. Wi-Fi and mobile network, among others, do work, but bluetooth, the camera and many more things do not yet function or do not function properly. In addition, bluetooth displays a forced close notification that users should ignore.

The Nougat build is based on previous code and is on GitHub. It is unknown if the developer plans to make it a stable build for everyday use. In any case, the release of the firmware offers users hope that a workable port of Android 7.0 of the Nexus 5 may appear in the future.

Rumor has it that Qualcomm has dropped support for the Snapdragon 800 and 801 for Android N, preventing manufacturers from making updates to devices. That would mean that in addition to the Nexus 5, recent devices such as the OnePlus X and Fairphone 2 would also be excluded. Sony announced Tuesday that the Xperia Z2 and Z3 devices will not receive an update. Especially for the Z3 that was a surprise, because it does run an officially supported test version of Android N.