From Donut to Nougat: Android keeps getting sweeter

The first version of Android was not short on innovations. It introduced the quick search box and Android market (now called Google Play). It also adapted to different screen sizes so you could have a great experience with a phone that was big or small.

Éclair brought the power of Google Maps into the palm of your hand with turn-by-turn directions. Once you got to your destination, you could amaze your friends with live wallpapers and even keep the conversation going with the first version of Android’s speech-to-text feature.

Hot on the heels of Éclair, this update took the speech-to-text capabilities to the next level with voice actions. These allowed you to do everything from getting directions to setting your alarm. And with the ability to turn your phone into your own portable hotspot, you were always connected.

By now, you probably think of your phone as a gaming device too. That’s all thanks to the updates in Gingerbread that allowed for awesome graphics and richer experiences. But all that playing can drain even the largest battery. So Gingerbread also debuted a battery management system that let you see exactly what features were using your precious battery power.

Honeycomb turned your tablet into a true workhorse by improving the way you read books, binge-watched your favorite shows, and mapped the route to your next adventure. It also introduced the system bar, which placed navigation buttons right on your screen and the quick settings feature that made configuring your phone super easy.

We all have a little neat freak inside of us, which is why this tasty update gave you the ability to organize your home screen so your favorite apps were always close at hand. And to help offset the data costs of those easier-to-find apps, you could now control your data usage. Rounding out this incredible update was Android Beam, a way to seamlessly share content with your friends.

Jelly Bean gave your phone a big IQ boost. The debut of Google Now meant you got the information you needed when you needed it. And notifications got smarter too by allowing you to take action when you got an alert. It’s only natural this brainy update would make your friends and family want to check it out, so Jelly Bean allowed multiple users on a single device.

KitKat helped you get more done without even lifting a finger. By saying “OK Google” you could find a place for dinner or just jam out with your favorite tunes. But if you did decide to pick up your phone, you’d be blown away by the new immersive design that removed the clutter to let you focus.

Lollipop was all about how you saw and experienced your device. The new design made your phone or tablet’s features easier to find and use while maximizing the technology it could offer. And Multiscreen allowed you to move from one device to another without missing a beat.

Getting answers was easy with the debut of Now on Tap. It allowed you to get a helping hand without ever leaving your app. Combined with smarter battery management that let you do more with less, Marshmallow truly took your device to a bright new place.

While many Nougat features are still under lock and key, what we can say is that gaming will be taken to the next level with Vulkan-supported graphics and battery power will continue to improve with Doze. If texting is what you do most, then you’ll love Direct Reply, which lets you respond to texts right from your notifications view.