Selected Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge models in the United States, United Kingdom, South Korea and China are now permitted to enroll in the Galaxy Beta Program, which started this Nov. 9 and will continue until mid-December.
Called Galaxy Beta Program, the Android 7.0 Nougat beta test will allow participants to try out the latest firmware, which enables users to experience the new major update and provide Samsung with feedback about its performance, stability and usability that will be helpful to engineers.
According to Sam Mobile, Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint models of the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are supported for users in the United States. All unlocked models in the United Kingdom are supported, while in South Korean, KT, SKTelecom and LG U+ units will get the Nougat beta installation.
To participate on the program test, users must enroll by downloading the Galaxy Beta Program application from Galaxy Apps, submit an application form via the 'Registration' menu, and enter their Samsung account credentials, according to Samsung.
After this, the 7.0 Nougat update should pop up through your phone's Settings menu when you manually check for system updates. It's also worth mentioning that Samsung isn't guaranteeing entrance to the beta to everyone who applies.
Samsung is expected to install the Android 7.0 Nougat update initially to the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge devices before making it available to other handsets like the Galaxy S7 Active, Galaxy S7 Batman edition, Galaxy S7 Olympic edition, Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy S6 edge+, Galaxy S6 Active, Galaxy S6 Ironman edition, and Galaxy S6 Active.
Although the firmware could be rolled out after the first half of December, in time for the ending of the beta test, there is no guarantee that Samsung will be ready for a public roll-out of Google's latest operating system soon after the test. Therefore, fans and spectators should expect the firmware update to come early 2017.
After the beta testing, the latest firmware should include the new Grace UX contained in the discontinued Galaxy Note 7, multi-window, direct reply notifications, Extra power efficiency, Google Assistant, VR interface, Seamless updates, Data saver, Improved file browser, Instant Apps, bundled notifications, and improved Java 8 language support.