Wileyfox is now updating Swift owners to Android Nougat, moving those with the Wileyfox Swift from CyanogenOS to Android 7.1.1. This move to a stock version of Android isn’t just limited to the Swift as the company plans to begin updates for the Storm and the Spark handsets as well, although they won’t be starting those updates at the same time. So, for the time being only the Swift will begin the transition while Wileyfox plans to roll out the update to the Storm next month and to the Spark in June.
The update file for the jump to stock Android 7.1.1 Nougat comes in at about 1.4GB so it’s a fairly large file that users will be attempting to download, and as always with larger files it’s a good idea to be connected to a Wi-Fi connection before initiating the download, this way it doesn’t eat up any of your cellular network data. As for what’s new, aside from actually having stock Android on the device as well as a new version of the OS itself, the update also includes the latest security patch, which is the April patch that Google sent out earlier this month to Nexus and Pixel devices.
In addition there are a range of differences like the new launcher which is now FoxHole. Parts of this launcher, like the app drawer, appear pretty similar to the app drawer in other Android 7.1.1 Nougat devices that carry the Pixel launcher or the Google Launcher, though with Wileyfox’ familiar orange themed color accents. There are also a good few extras options or functions that were included in the CyanogenOS software that was present in the Wileyfox phones before that have been removed and are no longer available. For example users will be losing a handful of customization options that used to be available for the status bar and there are some differences to power management, and there are at least two apps that have been removed which are the Themes app and the Audio F/X manager app. If you’re using a Wilefyfox Swift then the update should be showing up for you in the status bar as an alert that it’s available, but if it’s not then you can always check on the update availability manually by heading to about phone from the settings menu and tapping on the software updates button.
