Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) has released the Android 7.1.1 update for multiple devices, and thetiming could not be better for Verizon Communications Inc. (NASDAQ:VZN), which is sending the update to all Pixel and Pixel XL owners.
Users with select Nexus devices or with the premium Pixel phones will get the new Nougat version in March. The update usually arrives the first Monday of the month.
Also, the U.S. carrier company is finally releasing Android 7.0 Nougat for its Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge customers.
As of March 6th, owners of said devices should look out for the software update coming either from Verizon or Google. Owners should receive a notification about the update on their phones, or they could manually check the device’s settings to upgrade to the latest Android operative system.
To get started, users can head over to Settings -> About Phone -> Check for Updates, or they could just wait for the pop-up notification. A reboot can also trigger the upgrade.
March Android 7.1.1 Nougat changes
Nougat will update the phone in the background with minimal effort from the owner. The updates typically bring between 15 to 30 changes at most, and they cover security issues, bugs, and glitches.
However, the 7.1.1 version has more changes and security patches than usual. It has nearly 60 patches according to Google’s security blog. 11 of those are critical, while the rest go lower on the scale. It means Google is bringing a quick response to the security of its mobile platform
Security updates. Source: Google’s Android security blog.
The Android Security Bulletin noted several vulnerabilities affecting Android devices, including issues with Google’s device firmware, source code patches from the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), and a critical security vulnerability that could permit remote code execution on affected devices through email, web browsing, and MMS.
Users will not see anything new with the update. Instead, they will have phones with better security measures.
LG is giving the Nougat update on its earlier models
LG announced that 2015’s models G4 and V10 will not receive the Android 7.0 Nougat update as previously expected.
“We decided not to provide Android 7.0 (7.0 & 7.1) update for G4 and V10. As a result of internal compatibility with the new Android system, it was concluded that it is difficult to maintain optimized performance,” said the company last week.
However, a “consumer rebellion” forced the company to change its decision, and LG officials are now mentioning a 7.0 release for the G4 and the V10 on the third semester of 2017. The upgrade will go first to the Korean models, while international devices will likely receive the update on 2018.
Android Nougat came out on Nexus devices on October 2016 and has been making its way to the different brands of Android devices. Users require at least Android Marshmallow 6.0 to upgrade the OS.