Google will release the patches to the public through the Android open-source project. For years, security experts have been warning that manufacturers of Android smartphones and tablets release critical security updates either too slowly or not at all.
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Google plans on issuing these monthly patches for Nexus devices for “the longer of three years from initial availability or 18 months from last sale of the device via the Google Store”. But Samsung appears to be determined, at least with respect to its own devices. Most of the fixes for these issues, however, only arrive in the form of point updates.
The bug only affects Android handsets running an operating system older than Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, meaning lots of new models will be safe.
“We believe that this new process will vastly improve the security of our devices and will aim to provide the best mobile experience possible for our users”, said Koh. Users who are using a vulnerable device are advised to disable multimedia messaging (MMS) and to be careful about opening messages sent to them by unknown contacts.
After Google, Samsung, and LG recently committed to a monthly software update release to patch known security exploits (you can thank Stagefright for that), we assumed other Android OEMs would soon follow suit.
Google promises monthly Android security updates was revealed in an official Android blog post.
At the same time, Samsung, the biggest Android device maker, has committed to implementing a new security update process for its products. Samsung and Nexus users will reportedly receive the patches significantly faster.
The need for security in today’s day and age is more important than ever before, and users of the Android OS learnt it the hard way! Nexus owners may be luckier as Google can issue updates for the device without jumping through carrier hoops.
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Stagefright fixes: Several Samsung devices also got the Stagefright patch. In addition to security fixes, the monthly OTA updates will include general bug fixes, but the focus is primarily on security improvements.
