These Samsung Galaxy S6, S6 Edge Variants Are Now Getting The Android Nougat Update, Verizon’s Included

The Verizon-branded Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, as well as units in the Canadian market, are starting to receive the Android Nougat update.

After releasing the Android 7.0 Nougat upgrade to its variants of Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus several days ago, Verizon is now rolling out the build with Google’s latest OS iteration to the smaller 2016 flagship models. Owners of the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge on the Verizon network can expect to receive this major firmware upgrade soon if they haven’t yet.

UHHH JUST CASUALLY GOT THE NOUGAT UPDATE OUT OF NOWHERE.???? @droid_life pic.twitter.com/O60QYdGXkT

— arian (@fakeArian) April 24, 2017

Via its respective support pages for their S6 and S6 Edge models, Verizon revealed the big changes and improvements one can find after installing the update aside from bumping the phone from the Marshmallow OS to the Nougat flavor and getting all the new features (e.g. multi-window mode) that come with it. For instance, the Verizon Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge will get the new battery management page that will help maximize the battery potential of the device. There’s going to be an App Power Monitor that “detects inactive apps still using the battery, and puts them to sleep,” thus extending the phone’s battery charge. Moreover, both the Medium and Maximum power saving modes will be equipped with “easy access, customizable presets.”

In addition to all these new battery management functionalities, Android security enhancements were included in the software update as well. Furthermore, the keyboard also gets its own improvements via a new keyboard engine update, which particularly aims to provide better language predictions.

As for avid mobile photographers, they are treated with the Effects and Filters preview screen, which allows them to see all the available effects and filters while taking a photo. And this can be done by simply swiping left once the camera app is launched. Verizon Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge users can add more to the roster of effects and filters available by tapping the Download option.

The Samsung Galaxy S6 is scheduled to get a firmware with build number G920VVRS4DQD1 while the Edge variant should have the G925VVRS4DQD1 version. Although it is exciting to finally get the chance to experience the sweet taste of Android Nougat, it is still very important to be mindful of these two simple requirements from Verizon before proceeding with the actual download and installation process. First, Samsung’s S6 or S6 Edge needs to have a stable Wi-Fi or Verizon Wireless network so downloading the update files will be a breeze. Second, it is highly recommended to have a fully-charged phone before doing the software update.

Verizon’s Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge models are not the only ones getting the highly-anticipated Android 7.0 Nougat update. Apparently, the Nougat OS is rolling out to units in Canada, too. The new firmware builds (G920W8VLU5DQD for Samsung Galaxy S6 and G925W8VLU5DQD1 for S6 Edge) should be accessible through the Over-the-Air process, which means an OTA notification will automatically show up on the screen once the firmware is ready for download. But you can also manually verify a firmware’s availability in the system by heading to the Settings menu. Look for About Device after and then tap System Updates.

A post on Samsung Galaxy ROM provided the links for the official firmware updates for S6 and S6 Edge phones on Virgin, Telus, Bell, SaskTel, and Koodo Mobile, which will allow you to manually install the firmware.

Meanwhile, Rogers, another Canadian carrier, is planning to deploy the Nougat update for its Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge units next month. A previous report on the Inquisitr cited the OS Upgrade Schedule shared by Rogers, which revealed May 1 as the release date of the Nougat OS. The carrier is also planning to release new firmware builds for other phones on that same day. Their timeline suggests Google Pixel XL, Pixel, and Nexus 6P should start receiving security updates on Monday next week.

[Featured Image by David Ramos/Getty Images]