T-Mobile Releases Android Nougat Update For Galaxy Note 5 Via Samsung Smart Switch, OTA Rollout Soon

UPDATE: The Android 7.0 Nougat update for T-Mobile Galaxy Note 5 is now available. A report from GSM Arena revealed that it is currently accessible via Samsung Smart Switch. OTA rollout is expected to commence soon.

Original article follows:

Finally, those holding on to their T-Mobile-branded Samsung Galaxy Note 5 will finally be able to receive a major OS upgrade. Android 7.0 Nougat update’s rollout is happening very soon.

T-Mobile’s “Gadget Guy” Des with Twitter handle @askDes announced on Friday that the Android 7.0 Nougat update for the carrier-branded of Samsung Galaxy Note 5 has been approved and deployment of the firmware is expected to begin this week.

FRIDAY SOFTWARE UPDATE: Approval of Android 7.0 Nougat for #GalaxyNote5 today! @TMobile customers should start to see it early next week!? pic.twitter.com/56VRHZoEdA

— Des (@askdes) April 22, 2017

Android 7.0 Nougat seems to be a bit outdated nowadays especially since Google has already released the v7.1.2 of the firmware. And also, the Developer Preview of the next major Android iteration, which is now being referred to by many as Android 8.0 “O,” has already been released. Nevertheless, the imminent arrival of Android 7.0 Nougat update for T-Mobile Galaxy Note 5 units is a good news for owners of the device.

This isn’t just like any ordinary firmware update since it will be bumping the S-Pen-equipped phone from the Marshmallow flavor to the sweet taste of Nougat. And with this kind of OS upgrade, the download file is expected to be hefty, thus, users are advised to have a huge unused memory space left on the phablet to avoid installation issues during the process. It is also worth mentioning that since this is an update from T-Mobile, it will only be compatible with Note 5 units on its network, which specifically carries the model number N920T.

The Galaxy Note 5, released in 2015, is technically Samsung’s latest phablet model available in the market today after it implemented a global recall for the exploding Note 7. Meanwhile, Android Nougat was released last year. In terms of its distribution status, only a small percentage, (less than five percent to be more specific) of devices are updated with the Nougat OS, according to the official Android website.

https://youtu.be/zB9g6X7Pbg4

As for other firmware updates from T-Mobile, the U.S. carrier has recently released a new software for Samsung’s 2017 flagship smartphones. If you own a T-Mobile model of Samsung Galaxy S8 or S8 Plus, an update should be on its way if you haven’t received the Over-the-Air notification. OTA releases are usually done in stages meaning the firmware won’t be received by every Galaxy S8 owners all at once. Some early adopters of Samsung’s newest smartphone offering may have to wait a bit longer before they can finally download and install the G950USQU1AQD9 firmware version (for Galaxy S8) and G955USQU1AQD9 build (for Galaxy S8 Plus). Both these updates weigh in almost 400MB.

One can manually check the availability of T-Mobile’s update for the Galaxy S8 by simply heading to the Settings menu and then heading to Software Updates and lastly, tapping the “Download updates manually” option, as instructed by TmoNews.

Describing what’s inside the Galaxy S8 update, which is still on Android 7.0, TmoNews revealed that it contains improvements to the performance of the facial recognition feature of the phone. An adjustment has been made, too, for the camera’s user interface. Moreover, those who will install this T-Mobile update should also know that it also include a few security enhancements.

Aside from T-Mobile, two other U.S. carriers, AT&T and Verizon, have released the firmware update, too, for their respective Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus variants. Verizon’s changelog for its Galaxy S8 update showed that it provides subtle improvements to the Infinity Screen, which is Samsung’s newest display, a previous report from theT Inquisitr noted. Moreover, the Verizon update also enables its S8 users to turn on the “Press Volume up to answer calls” option so they won’t need to tap the touchscreen to answer the call. The icon for the camera app also received an overhaul.

Are you still waiting for the Android Nougat update for your device? The Inquisitr will keep you in the loop for more news about mobile firmware releases.

[Featured Image by Donald Bowers/Getty Images for Samsung]