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Android mascots are lined up in the demonstration area at the Google I/O Developers Conference in the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California, May 10, 2011. Reuters/Beck Diefenbach

Google has unveiled the Android N Developer Preview for compatible devices such as Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6, Nexus 9 LTE and Google Pixel C, with the preview images now available for download.

Although the Nexus 5 is not present on the list of initial Nexus devices that are to receive the Android N Developer Preview OTA update, mainly because it is an older phone that was released in 2013, it nonetheless looks pegged to get the Android N Developer Preview in the future.

According to The Bleg, the codename of the Nexus 5 -- Hammerhead -- was found listed in the Google Git repositories and was tagged with Android N Preview 1. This is an indication that Google may release the preview version of Android N in the near future, although it has not confirmed this officially.

The Android N OS was expected to be unveiled during the upcoming Google I/O 2016 event that will be held in May. However, Google apparently decided to change things up and release the Developer Preview of Android N this week.

It will be releasing five preview editions of Android N before releasing the final Android N build. The Android N offers several new features like Split Screen, Data Saver, Number Blocking, enhanced Quick Settings and Notifications. Here are the factory images of Android N Developer Preview 1:

One should be aware of the fact that those who flash their devices with the respective factory image will not be able to receive OTA update automatically. Only those users who join the Android Beta Program will be eligible to receive the OTA updates.

As Google has done in the past, it will unleash the Android N OS preinstalled in the upcoming Google Nexus 2016 smartphone in the third quarter of this year.