The number one advantage of iOS devices over Android is its timely updates. However, that is about to change as Google is now planning for faster releases of its Security updates for all Android phones this year.
Google security update problems
Getting security patches has always been a big problem for Android devices unless it’s Google Pixel or Nexus smartphones, which releases its updates on a monthly basis. When it comes to other manufacturers such as Samsung, HTC, and LG, it’s a lot more complicated for them to follow suit. It was reported that half of the 1.4 billion Android devices from more than 200 manufacturers were not able to receive security patches for the whole year of 2016.
Those devices are more likely to have security vulnerabilities compared to those that received the update for their Android system.
Google is now working closely with smartphone manufacturers and is able to trim the wait times from six to nine weeks down to just several days. Samsung promises to release security updates every month. It is also very important that carriers and manufacturers receive Google’s information regarding updates for them to release their own. The size of the patch itself is being reduced so it may be downloaded much faster than before. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that all Android devices will receive the latest version of Android.
Google cleaning up the Store
In addition, Google performed scans in the Play Store and made 750 million daily checks in 2016 for suspicious content.
The results from those tests were reduced malicious apps that contain phishing scams, Trojans, and hostile downloaders onto users’ phones. Google revealed that it was able to reduce phishing apps by 73.4 percent, Trojans by 51.5 percent, backdoors by 30.5 percent and hostile downloaders by 54.6 percent. Android Nougat also improved its areas of Encryption, audio and video, and enterprise.
Receiving Google’s security patches is certainly good news for those who own Android devices. Hopefully, this will make their devices more secured against harmful software.
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