Galaxy S7 and S7 EDGE get Android Nougat in the U.S.
Galaxy S7 and S7 EDGE get Android Nougat in the U.S.Image: CNET.

A press release published today by the Samsung has revealed that Android 7.0 Nougat update is already available for Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge in the US since last Tuesday. Nougat will roll out to other countries in the following months as well.

The new version of Android’s OS contains a group of useful features, including faster download speeds, a new design for notifications and panels, and other perks like ‘Multi Window’ function.

To update a Samsung phone manually, users should go to Settings > More > About device > Software Update, and tap ‘Update.’

However, they should receive an automatic notification whenever Nougat is available.

The UK and China are also receiving the instant OTA (over-the-air) update. Nougat is also coming soon to the Galaxy S6 (and variants), The Note 5, the Tab A, the A3, and the A8.

Android Nougat’s new features

Android Nougat 7.0 brings the ‘Quick Panel’ design, which eliminates the titles from the icons in the first depth, and groups the second depth’s buttons into groups of nine.

The Galaxy 7 and 7 Edge both sport the S Finder which helps to locate elements within the phone or search the web, much like Google Assistant’s Search bar. Nougat will integrate this function into the Quick Panel.

Notifications now appear in groups and users can reply to them directly without having to get into the apps themselves. Samsung remarks that this gives the phone ‘a cleaner aesthetic.’

Outside of Android, Samsung is enabling their Pass technology on the S7 and S7 Edge so users can log in to websites using their fingerprint scanners. The company looks to expand this feature into fields like banking. Other features include a Data Saver that cuts background data on an app unless it’s open.

Multi Window and Performance Modes

The phone’s window sizes are now more adjustable in a split-screen view than in previous versions. Nougat also introduces a pop-up function that can have up to five apps open at the same time, which elevates multitasking to seven apps simultaneously.

The update also brings four different Performance Modes for various needs, just like Windows laptop’s battery usage styles. They can be accessed through Settings and include further optimization options for each situation.

Optimized Mode enhances battery life and speed, and Game Mode helps with overall performance for portable play. Entertainment Mode makes sound and image quality better, and High-Performance Mode increases all settings to best quality available.

Source: Samsung Newsroom