Android N may come with redesigned home and navigation keys, here's a sneak peek

In its current state, Android N Developer Preview doesn't include significant design changes. However, the final version of the OS may come with at least one instantly noticeable modification: new home and navigation buttons.

According to Android Police, Google's next generation Nexus phones (which should be released later this year running Android N out of he box) might have a navigation bar similar to the one seen below. Reportedly, the info comes from a source that's been reliable in the past, though Google may very well change this design before releasing Android N. Moreover, it's not clear if these keys are expected to be used only on Nexus devices, or on all handsets that will run stock Android N.

As you'll notice below, all three navigation keys have the same geometrical shapes as before, but they're opaque - not hollow, as they are in stock Android Marshmallow. The home key is surrounded by Google colors (blue, red, green, yellow), and it's said that it animates when long-pressed - thus when you want to launch Google Now On Tap. New design aside, the three keys should have the very same functionality that they do on Android Marshmallow.


The final name of Android N could be announced before the end of this month (or in early July), and might be Android Nutella. As for the first Nexus phones to run Android N out of the box, these are seemingly made by HTC, and one of them (codenamed Sailfish) may sport a 5-inch 1080p display. The other new Nexus, codenamed HTC Marlin, should feature a 5.5-inch display with a higher pixel resolution, and a Snapdragon 821 processor.