With Android 7.0 Nougat being
released by Google earlier this week, there is only one question in everyone’s
mind: when will my Android device get the Nougat update.
A downside of Android devices from various OEMs being different
from each other is that it can take months for devices to get the latest
version of Android.
The release of Android 7.0 has seen many OEMs come forward and
release a list of devices they plan on updating to it. By informing customers
about the update process, OEMs are hoping to instil confidence in customers
about their products and reassure them that they take the act of updating their
devices to the latest version of Android seriously.
Coming back to the topic, if you are wondering whether your
Android smartphone will receive the Android 7.0 Nougat update or not, check out
the list below. The below list is by no means final or official, but
should still give you a good idea on whether (and when) your device will get
the Nougat update.
HTC
HTC has already confirmed that it will be
rolling out the Android 7.0 Nougat update for the HTC 10, HTC One M9 and One
A9. The unlocked variant of 10 will be receiving it first in Q4 followed by the
unlocked variants of One M9 and One A9. The carrier variants of these handsets
will also receive the Nougat update, though it will take slightly longer due to
carrier testing and certification.
Samsung
Despite being the biggest Android OEM, Samsung has not announced
its official plans on Nougat. Nonetheless, looking at the company’s past
record, we should expect the unlocked Galaxy S7 and S7 edge to receive the
Nougat update by the middle of Q4. This will be followed by the Galaxy Note 7,
with carrier variants of these devices close behind.
The Galaxy S6, S6 edge, Note 5, and S6 edge+ should also receive
the Nougat update by the end of this year or early next year. The Galaxy Note 4
will also receive the Nougat update, though it is unlikely that it will happen
anytime before early next year.
The Galaxy S5 will likely not be receiving the Nougat update since
the Snapdragon 801 chipset powering the handset is not supported by the OS.
LG
Even before the official Nougat update was released by Google, LG
had started a beta testing program for the G5 in South Korea. So, G5 owners
should be rest assured that their device will be updated to Android 7.0 by next
month or in early Q4.
The LG G4 and V10 will also receive the Nougat update by the end
of this year or early next year. As for the LG G3, it has reached its end of
life and will not be receiving the Android 7.0 update.
LG is also going to be the first OEM to release an Android device
running Nougat out of the box, the V20. The handset will be unveiled on
September 6th.
Sony
Sony has already officially
announced a list of devices that it will be updating to Android 7.0
Nougat.
- Xperia
Z3+
- Xperia
Z4 Tablet
- Xperia
Z5
- Xperia
Z5 Compact
- Xperia
Z5 Premium
- Xperia
X
- Xperia
XA
- Xperia
XA Ultra
- Xperia
X Performance
The company has not provided any time frame, but looking at its
past performance, do not expect the update to land anytime soon.
Motorola
Motorola is among the fastest OEMs out there to update its devices
to the latest version of Android. While the unlocked Moto Z and Moto Z Force
are yet to go on sale, these handsets should receive the Nougat update by the
middle of Q4. The Moto X Style/Pure should also see its Android 7.0 update
being made available by October.
The Moto G4, Moto G3, and their variants will also receive the
Nougat update likely by the end of this year.
OnePlus
Learning from their mistakes, OnePlus seems to have been working
on improving its software update speeds. The company should roll out the Nougat
update for the OnePlus 3 by the end of this year, while the OnePlus 2 should
receive the update by the end of Q1, 2017.
The OnePlus One and OnePlus X will likely not receive the Nougat
update because the Snapdragon 801 chipset is no longer supported by Qualcomm.
Snapdragon 801-powered devices
If you own an Android device powered by the massively popular
Snapdragon 800/801 chipset, prepare to be disappointed. Google has dropped
support for the chipset in AOSP with Nougat, so OEMs cannot roll out the Nougat
update for their devices even if they wish to. This includes devices like the
OnePlus One, Xperia Z3/Z2, LG G3, Nexus 5, and more.
While not confirmed, support is being dropped for these devices
due to the lack of updated GPU drivers for Nougat from Qualcomm. Apparently,
this is because of the lack of OpenGL 3.1 support on the Adreno 3xx series of
GPU.
To reiterate what I said at the beginning of this article: the
list above is by no means official, but should still give you a good idea of
when your Android device will receive the Nougat update.
A general rule of thumb: If you own a flagship Android device
released in the last year or two, be rest assured that your device will get the
Android 7.0 update. If it is a particularly popular mid-range phone released in
the last 2 years, it will — more than likely — receive the update. However, if
you own a particularly old device or a less popular one, the chances of it
being updated to Nougat are pretty slim.
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