Samsung Electronics is one of the very few Android OEMs alongside the likes of LG, Sony and HTC, to have publicly declared its intention of following Google’s monthly security update schedule for its Android devices. In keeping with its promise, the South Korean manufacturer has now reportedly started rolling out the December security patches to the unlocked versions of one of its latest flagship phablets, the Galaxy S6 Edge+. According to reports, the latest update is currently live in a number of regions around the world, including India and the Nordic countries. The update brings along the cumulative security patches for the month of December, 2016. At this point in time, there’s no word on when the Note 5 will get the patches rolled out to it, as it is only the S6 Edge+ that is believed to be receiving the security fix for now.
As for details regarding the latest update, Samsung says that along with the Google patches, it is providing fixes for “9 Samsung Vulnerabilities and Exposures (SVE) items” as part of its monthly Security Maintenance Release (SMR) process. A number of other vulnerabilities that have also been supposedly been patched up by the latest update are not being disclosed by the OEM, ostensibly for security reasons. Samsung also says that voice-call stability will be improved by the latest software, and once installed, users will not be able to uninstall it at any stage. Earlier this month, the Verizon edition of the handset got its December security patch rolled out to it by the US carrier, and now, the unlocked version on sale in India seems to be receiving the software. Which means it shouldn’t be long before the device starts receiving the update in most markets around the world.
It is important to remember that the update only brings along security patches, and not any new features as such, so people waiting for Marshmallow to be rolled out to their handsets will be disappointed. However, users of Samsung’s premium smartphones will find it reassuring to see the company doing its bit to keep its users safe from malicious software, by proactively rolling out the latest security updates. Now, device owners will be hoping that Marshmallow isn’t that far away in the horizon for Samsung’s latest flagships smartphones.
