Just yesterday, Samsung put out a beta version of their update to Android 7.0 (Nougat) for certain variants of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge across the globe. The beta software had limited slots available in each territory for users to jump on board, and required a download through the Galaxy Apps store. In a move that should shock absolutely nobody who is the slightest bit familiar with the mobile world, somebody who managed to get a spot and download the firmware has made a system dump of it and leaked it onto the internet. That somebody is MạnhIT, a user over at Choi Mobile, essentially the Korean equivalent of sites like HowardForums and XDA Developers.
Thanks to an extensive gallery of screenshots that hit the internet last night, even those without a compatible device can have an idea of what the newest iteration of TouchWiz looks like in action, mixing elements of stock Nougat with the Grace UX from the ill-fated Galaxy Note 7, along with some nifty new features and a cleaner color scheme. The rather luxuriant new face of TouchWiz is still in beta, so anybody choosing to download should be cautioned that this update’s daily driver eligibility is questionable. Still, this is the official beta update from Samsung, so at least some quality control and finesse are expected to be in the mix.
The update files posted on Choi Mobile should work for just about all Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge users, but be sure to download the right version for your phone – there is a difference, and the wrong file could refuse to flash, or even leave you with an expensive brick. In order to apply the update, you’ll need a PC with an x86 processor type and some variant of Linux, Mac or Windows. ODIN, the in-house Samsung flashing client, is the best to use for the procedure, but those who can’t use ODIN or want something a bit more flexible can always use the open-source Heimdall alternative. However you want to go about it, having a look at the tutorial video that Choi Mobile posted to YouTube, embedded below for your convenience, is probably a good idea.