And the next version of Google Android will be called... Nougat

Google officially names Android 7.0

The next version of the Android operating system will be named Nougat, Google has confirmed. Announcing it in a tweet late on Thursday, it had been conjectured that Google might called it Nutella. However, the company has not yet revealed when it will be released.

In terms of a release date, though, it is most likely that Nougat will debut alongside Google's next-generation Nexus smartphones, which could see models from HTC, Huawei and even Google itself.

Most users have been able to test drive Android N for a few weeks after Google launched a public beta testing programme at this year's I/O conference.

This means that, as well as making sure that Nougat is as bug-free as possible when it rolls out later this year, users can try out Android's new features, such as a split-screen mode, enhanced notifications and improved gaming smarts, thanks to its support of the Vulkan API.

Android 7.0 Nougat also brings enhanced security through the use of file-based encryption and seamless updates, alongside a Data Saver mode that restricts how much 3G or 4G data you plough through and a system-wide Night Mode.

The need for improved security has been underlined once again. A new report from Kaspersky revealed that Android devices are coming under increasing attack from new strains of mobile ransomware, and that UK users are among those at risk.

The Android N release also has Daydream, Google's new virtual reality platform, although it will be supported only by Daydream-ready handsets running the OS.

Google announced previously that firms including Samsung, HTC, LG, Huawei and Xiaomi are on board with Daydream, some of which will launch devices later this year.