The Huawei Mate 8 was released not too long ago, and for a lot of people represented the Chinese manufacturer’s own version of the Nexus 6P. It’s a little larger with its 6.0-inch display, and the camera is a little different, but the fingerprint sensor and overall build make it clear the two devices share common DNA. One area the two phones are very different however is in the software used under-the-hood, with Huawei opting to use their own software skin on top of Google’s Android, instead of leaving it bare as with the Nexus 6P. One thing that Huawei has often been criticized for is their lack of attention where software updates are concerned, but the Mate 8’s update to the February security update could be another sign that Huawei is trying to turn things around where their software is concerned.
The Mate 8 was already launched with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow onboard, which was impressive enough, and now the February security updates are coming through. We might be heading towards the end of the month, but as February is a shorter month, we’ll give Huawei a pass on that, besides they’re doing a lot better than some other manufacturers out there where these security updates are concerned. It appears the update also fixes a bugs here and there on Huawei’s side as well as all those listed in the Security Bulletin from Google earlier this month.
Monthly security updates have become controversial among many of Google’s partners that have been producing Android smartphones for some time now. While some seem content to mostly ignore the monthly updates, it’s refreshing to see Huawei jumping onboard like this, especially as the company has a poor track record of software updates to set straight. We recently heard that the Honor 7 will be getting the Marshmallow update through Europe, which should put a smile on many a face across the pond, but whether or not Huawei keep up their new focus to software updates throughout the year ahead remains unclear. Hopefully, working with Google on the Nexus 6P has had a positive effect on how the Chinese name treats software updates and sees them as more important now.
