Update [April 12, 2017]: Samsung is starting to roll out April security patch to the Galaxy J1 Ace Neo. The update going by software version J111FXXU0AQD2, is being seeded over the air and applies the latest security patch. Though the update is still Android 5.1.1 Lollipop based, it does bring necessary performance tweaks and fixes a few bugs too.

The Galaxy J1 Ace sits a few rungs above the J1 Mini on the performance ladder. The smartphone is divided into many variants depending on the region and also varies with performance. Given its budget status, Nougat would surely help speed up the device to an extent. But will Samsung roll out the update?

The J1 Ace features a 4.3-inch 480 x 800 sAMOLED display unlike its counterpart, the J1 Mini which came with a TFT display. The device is powered by either the Spreadtrum SC9830 or Marvell PXA1908 depending on the region.

RAM and storage combinations start from 512MB and 4GB internal memory and go up to 1GB and 8GB of on board storage. The smartphone gets its power from 1900mAh juice pack. Each iteration of Android brings in more performance optimizations to enable the OS to run on such minimal specs too. As you can see, these specs barely pass the Nougat requirements.

Will the Galaxy J1 Ace receive Nougat?

The short answer is a plain old no. The smartphone was released with Android 4.4.4 KitKat and hasn’t received an update to Lollipop either. But this doesn’t necessarily mean that Samsung is ignoring the device.

Read: Samsung Nougat Update Release Date

Contrary to that, Samsung has been rolling out regular security patches, which goes on to show that the OEM values customers’ security and privacy irrespective of the budget state of the device. Besides, it kind of makes sense why manufacturers find it difficult to update all of their devices simply due to the enormous number of device variants.

Read: Samsung releases March security update for Galaxy J1 Ace

The latest such update which was released, arrives as J110HXXU0AQC1 and installs the March security patch for the Saudi Arabian Galaxy J1 Ace (SM-J110H). This keeps your device safe from several exploits and vulnerabilities that hackers could take advantage of.

Is there another way to experience Nougat?

Even though Samsung hasn’t provided the chance for Galaxy J1 Ace to see at least one update cycle, developers save the device at the end of the day. To be honest, there aren’t that many ROMs out there for the J1 Ace.

Also read: TWRP Recovery for Samsung Galaxy J1 Ace (SM-J110)

But what you could do, is root the device, which is as good as flashing a custom ROM. You will then be able to customize the device to beyond what Samsung allowed. You will also be able to force the device to perform better and this includes seeing higher battery life gains too.

The only problem you need to be wary of, is that certain ROMs may not be stable enough for your liking. At the end of the day, it’s best to stick with familiar ROMs.