Samsung’s 2016 Galaxy S7 series just got September security patch
- Samsung has released an update for the Galaxy S7 series.
- The update for the flagships 2016 simply brings the security patch from September 2020.
Samsung announced earlier this year that it would roll out three generations of Android version updates to a wide variety of devices. Unfortunately, the oldest phones and tablets included in this promise are only from 2019.
So we’re pretty surprised that the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge are loudly getting an update now SamMobile and users on Reddit. Unfortunately, this is not an update of the Android version, but the security patch from September 2020.
It is still a remarkable step for an Android OEM to update a phone line that is well over four years old. In fact, the Galaxy S7 series has been removed from the list of phones that even receive quarterly security updates, with the Galaxy S8 series being the oldest S-series flagship still receiving security patches. Presumably Samsung S7 owners will be thrown a bone or the patch simply fixes a critical security hole.
In any case, according to a screenshot published on Reddit, the update itself weighs 69 MB and apparently hits devices in Canada and the UK.
Samsung isn’t the only brand offering updates for outdated devices in 2020 as well. Earlier this year, Huawei reportedly updated its 2015-era Mate 8 and 2016-era P9, adding a security patch and smart charging feature to help reduce battery degradation. Hopefully this will become something of a trend for even more devices and brands.
Next: Samsung has raised the bar for Android updates
