Some people tend to care less even if their phones don’t receive monthly security updates, but little do they know that these are the most important software updates.
In case you didn’t know, security updates are meant to patch any new bugs and vulnerabilities as well as improve the general security of your phone. This is the reason you shouldn’t miss any of the current OTA updates from AT&T and T-Mobile with respect to Samsung Galaxy Note 8, Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 Edge, Samsung Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge and the rugged Galaxy S6 Active.
T-Mobile has just started rolling out an update that brings December’s Android security patch to the Samsung Galaxy Note 8. I know most people are eager to receive Android Oreo on the Note 8, but this will have to wait until next year. Before then, make sure you get this OTA update because it’ll protect your phone from any potential threats. In addition, the OTA is expected to improve video conferencing as well as tag along a Digits update. The Magenta carrier is also rolling out OTA updates to the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, both with this month’s security patch. Where the S7 is getting software version G930TUVS4BQL2, the S7 Edge is getting firmware version G935TUVS4BQL2.
Those using the 2015 Samsung Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge and Galaxy S6 Active on AT&T are also getting a new OTA update that brings this month’s patch to the trio alongside other bug fixes and performance improvements. After the update is installed on any of the three phones, users should notice significant improvements in network performance as well as a fix for Blueborne vulnerability. Besides these, the update also brings support for Mobile Hotspot APN to the three phones.
If you are using the standard Samsung Galaxy S6, the update brings software version G920AUCU6EQK3 and weighs between 471MB and 521MB; the Galaxy S6 Edge gets software version G925AUCU6EQK3 and weighs between 397MB and 437MB; and the rugged Samsung Galaxy S6 Active has an update with software version G890AUCU6DQK3, weighing between 389MB and 429MB.
All four phones are still based on Android Nougat, although T-Mobile’s Samsung Galaxy Note 8 has an updated version 7.1.1 running the show as opposed to version 7.0 on the S6 family. While Galaxy Note 8 users can rest assured that the handset will be updated to Android Oreo in early 2018, the story is not the same when it comes to Samsung Galaxy S6 users. Still, there are rumors that Samsung has plans to update the Galaxy S6 and Note 5 to the new Android Oreo, but even if this is true, it might happen somewhere in Q2 or maybe Q3 2018.