Newsletter
Verizon is pushing out over the air security updates to branded Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge devices starting today. The latest update being pushed out by the carrier includes twenty one security patches which will fix vulnerabilities of various kinds, including a critical one which could enable “remote code execution on an affected device through multiple methods such as email, web browsing, and MMS when processing media files.” Even though the vulnerability sounds like a treat to hackers, there have been no reports of any Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 Edge handset being compromised due to such a vulnerability. However, the sooner users install the new security update on their handsets, the lesser the chances of their handsets being compromised by hackers.
The security update is the second of its kind after Samsung’s Galaxy S7 handsets were updated with several security patches by T-Mobile and AT&T in March shortly after they were released. Even though the updates were relatively small in size at approximately 41MB, there were no reports on if the premium phones arrived with any major security flaw that needed urgent fixing. Verizon also introduced a security update for Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge in March in order to fix issues with Wi-Fi connectivity which had resulted in ‘frequent data disconnections’ as well as ‘problems while loading files or web pages.’ All of these updates, including the one released today, are simply bug fixes and security updates and will in no way enhance the handsets’ performance or bring in any new features that may excite Samsung’s fans. If you own a Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 Edge handset, do ensure that your phone is fully charged and is connected to a strong Wi-Fi connection before you begin installing the update.
Samsung’s Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge phones have received a lot of praise since launch thanks to their beautiful design concepts, advanced features, ease of usage and have avoided any controversies as such. However, an AnTuTu benchmark test conducted on Galaxy S7 handsets in March revealed that a Galaxy S7 featuring a Snapdragon 820 processor offers 32% better graphics performance than a Galaxy S7 featuring Samsung’s Exynos 8890 processor. The tests revealed that a Snapdragon 820 chip scored 55098 on GPU performance compared to just 37545 scored by an Exynos 8890 processor. Given that Samsung is using both chips in new Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge phones, it was believed that owners of Galaxy S7 phones featuring Exynos processors would not be able to get the best graphics performance out of their handsets.