Android 7.1 Nougat may be on the way already

The news hot off the press this week is that a consumer version of Android 7.0 Nougat is making its way to devices as of yesterday, and part of what makes Nougat special is that Google has committed to more regular quarterly maintenance updates. Now we’re seeing some evidence that the first of these updates might just be a bump the OS all the way up to Android 7.1.

Some Android fans with sharp eyes have noticed that the Android Version filter in the developer console offers an option for Android 7.1. For context, Marshmallow never even got beyond 6.0.1, which could indicate that the first update for Nougat might come with an extra helping of Android goodness. It could also be a sign that these “maintenance updates” are more substantial than the security updates we’re familiar with.

The consumer version of Android Nougat is essentially just the Developers Preview number 5 with some added stability, so those paying close attention to the operating system’s features might have some more notable changes to look forward to. Some are speculating that this could even include API level 25, which is rumored but unconfirmed.

What do you think of this possibility that Android 7.1 could be the first maintenance update? Let us know your take in the comments below!