Samsung is gearing up to push out the much-awaited Android 7.0 Nougat software update for its Galaxy line-up, which is evidenced by the launch of the beta testing program for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge smartphones.
The company has also reportedly started developing the Android Nougat update for the older-gen Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge smartphones, as well as the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy Tab S2.
New Developments
A few days after the Android N update beta testing for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge kicked off, the company is apparently readying to roll out a new build of the update.
The news comes courtesy of SamMobile, which also reveals that the upgrade will bring several bug fixes and patch issues that testers have been reporting.
"It's been revealed today that Samsung's preparing to roll out another build of its Android 7.0 Nougat firmware for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge owners participating in the Galaxy Beta Program," reveals SamMobile.
One of the fixes in the new updated build for Android N is for a bug that leads to an alert setting not operating as meant. This information was confirmed by Samsung in a conversation with a beta tester.
Beta testers are also reporting that the update brings changes to the device's display settings, as it can run below the native resolution. This change enables a user to alter the phone's resolution, as well as modify how the fonts and graphics appear.
Release Of Updated Build?
It is not known when the Android N update will be pushed out, but Samsung has revealed in a conversation with a beta tester that the firmware will soon be made available. The tester shared the conversation in the Samsung Members application as revealed by SamMobile.
An educated guess would be that the updated build for Android N could be rolled out in the coming weeks.
When Will Android N Make Its Way To Galaxy S7/Galaxy S7 edge?
Samsung has said that its Android N beta program for the smartphones is anticipated to continue till "mid-December."
Samsung's update roll out pattern for the previous-gen Galaxy S6, when it was updated to Marshmallow, worked as follows:
The Android Marshmallow beta for the Galaxy S6 began in December 2015 and continued till late January 2016. The final build for the Marshmallow update for the handset was pushed out in early February with home country South Korea being the first to benefit. The European variants of the handset, the unlocked ones, followed next and then the Marshmallow update for the Galaxy S6 was rolled out in Canada and the United States by mid-March/April.
Based on this, we can say that the first stable Android Nougat update for the Galaxy S7 series will arrive in end December 2016 or early January 2017. South Korea will likely be the first to get the update, with Europe following suit.
It will be mid-February or early March by the time the Android N update for the Galaxy S7 and is released in the United States, and possibly later for the Galaxy S7 edge. Carrier-locked variants of the handset would get the update depending on when it is rolled out by each network operator.
Taking all the factors into account, a Spring 2017 roll out for Android N for the Galaxy S7 seems plausible.
