After months of waiting, Samsung is finally seeding the latest Android 7.0 Nougat firmware update to its flagship smartphones, namely the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge. The said firmware update will bring improvements on the S7 smartphones with new Direct Reply feature and Samsung Pass option.
According to MobiPicker, the rollout of Android 7.0 Nougat firmware on Samsung's Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge devices are just among the first Samsung devices to get the latest firmware, after they were treated to the Android Nougat Beta Program.
The latest Android 7.0 Nougat firmware brings a lot of new features to the Samsung experience, with improved user interface and added apps. According to The Verge, Quick Panel's user interface will get a cleaner look, after icons are now grouped to easily recognize them.
After installing the latest OS, Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge owners will be able to experience the new Direct Reply feature for notifications, which enables users to open a message notification without leaving a current app. The multi window support is tweaked to adjust the split-screen view, and a new pop-up window is added to carry 7 apps running simultaneously.
In addition, the Android 7.0 Nougat update included features that will optimize the smartphone's battery life, entertainment, gaming, and sound qualities. Samsung also includes Samsung Pass with the Nougat update, which brings extra security suite on users through its fingerprint module used on logging in on websites.
After the recent update on Samsung S7's series, the South Korean tech giant might be reeling on the next smartphones to receive the said OS update. According to Samsung's recent statement, the Android 7.0 Nougat update will also be installed on a slew of devices, namely the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge and S6 edge Plus, Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy Tab A with S Pen, Galaxy Tab S2 (LTE unlock), Galaxy A3, and Galaxy A8, in the first half of this year. The company did not reveal more about the update's exact date.
Beta testers who went on the Samsung beta program and users with unlocked handsets from the United Kingdom, United States and China will be able to install the Android Nougat over-the-air (OTA). Users who have locked devices to their particular carriers like AT&T and Verizon could only get the update once it is approved by their carriers.