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Samsung ends security patches for Galaxy S7 Active and Galaxy Tab A 10.1 (2016)
Other changes include 6 downgraded devices and 1 added
Samsung is usually one of the better OEMs when it comes to releasing timely security patches for its phones, even beating Google to the punch at times. But even Samsung can only afford to keep older devices updated for so long. The company has recently revised its security update list with some changes, including ending patches for the Galaxy S7 Active, as well as changing some other older devices to a less frequent schedule.
Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge stop receiving security updates
The Galaxy S7 active is still eligible for updates, though
The Galaxy S7 hasn't seen a new Android version in a long time, but until now, Samsung at least had been pushing security updates whenever it deemed them necessary. According to the company's security updates timeline, that's changing: The company won't release new patches for the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge any longer, though the S7 active is still supported.
Most people know of the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, but there's a third, often-forgotten brother: the AT&T-exclusive Galaxy S7 active. One of the risks you assume when purchasing such a niche phone, though, is that updates may be delayed. Luckily, S7 active owners have only had to wait around two weeks longer than those with standard AT&T S7 and S7 edge phones have.
The Galaxy S7 Active is a more rugged version of Samsung's flagship, exclusive to AT&T customers. AT&T started to update its Galaxy S7 and S7 edge devices last month, and starting today, the Nougat update for the S7 Active is rolling out.
About nine months ago, Rootjunky managed to bypass the factory reset protection (FRP) on Samsung devices simply by inserting an OTG drive into the phone and installing an app. Then, two months later, he found a vulnerability on LG phones; this time, he circumvented FRP by using talkback settings to open a browser, downloading an APK that opened settings, adding a new user, switching back to the main account, and then resetting without FRP. However, this new exploit for Samsung phones might be the most ingenious yet.
The Active variants of Samsung's Galaxy phones on AT&T are sold as a more rugged option than the standard version. However, Consumer Reports found that the Galaxy S7 Active didn't even stand up to water as well as advertised (or as well as the regular GS7). Samsung was at first unconcerned, but now says it has identified the problem in its manufacturing process and corrected it.
This review is about 4500 words long. We do that a lot here at Android Police, and if you want an exhaustive breakdown of the hardware and software in the Galaxy S7 Active, then by all means, read on. But if you want the long and the short of it, here it is: the S7 Active is a Galaxy S7 with a permanent "tough" case around it and an extra 1000mAh of juice. If that sounds like a good thing, and good enough that the $100 premium AT&T asks is reasonable, then the phone is right up your alley.
AT&T announced the Samsung Galaxy S7 Active only 4 days ago and now it's ready to start selling it to you online and at its different retail stores. You'll be able to pick it up today in 3 different colors: Camo Green which you see in the image above, Sandy Gold which looks like it's trying way too much to fit in the desert, and Titanium Gray which is the most inconspicuous and traditional of the bunch. As for the price, you can expect to pay $26.50/month for 30 months on an AT&T Next plan or $33.13/month for 24 months on an AT&T Next Every Year plan (read more about AT&T's new plans here). You can also just pay $794.99 upfront and be done with it.
Now that the primary Galaxy S7 series has regained its water-resistant powers, one might wonder why we need a ruggedized "active" version. And the answer is that, while the S7 and S7 Edge are some damn fine phones, all that delicately curved and exposed glass isn't exactly what you'd call durable. If the general tank-like construction of the Galaxy S7 Active isn't enough to turn your head, consider that it has almost exactly the same capabilities as its more mainstream brother (which is fairly unusual for rugged phones), plus an even bigger 4000mAh battery.
Samsung's Active series takes the hardware from its primary Galaxy S phones and wraps them up in big, tough plastic and a water-resistant chassis. The Galaxy S4, S5, and S6 were all given Active variants, and now it's the S7's turn, as previously leaked. While the new AT&T phone hits all the familiar notes from previous generations, a little extra engineering manages to cram an impressive 4000mAh battery inside. With similar specs elsewhere, the S7 Active should last a solid 30% longer than the standard S7 and even a bit longer than the larger S7 Edge.
It's a foregone conclusion that AT&T is about to release a ruggedized version of the Galaxy S7 called the Galaxy S7 Active. It's done it for the last few Galaxy flagships, and the phone has leaked a few times. Now, Venture Beat has more detailed specs for the device, and most of it is no surprise. It's a GS7 with a different chassis and a bigger battery. The size of that battery is a bit of a surprise—it's apparently 4,000mAh.
The Samsung Galaxy S7 Active for AT&T has been leaked already, but that was the army green camo variant. You expect the Active to look like that. Now, the GS7 Active has leaked in what can only be described as the gaudiest rugged phone ever envisioned. That's the gold GS7 Active above, or as Evan Blass jokes, it's "desert camo."
Over a month ago, someone at Samsung slipped up and let out the name of a Galaxy S7 Active as a compatible device when updating the Samsung Level app's description on the Play Store (it's now gone). We knew the device was coming, and rumors had pegged it as model number SM-G891A with very similar specs to the regular S7 but a military-grade protection (MIL-STD-810G) on top of its IP68 water and dust resistance.