Essential Phone is among the first to receive the February security patch

Google released the February security patch yesterday, so supported Nexus and Pixel devices were the first to receive the update. Today, Essential announced its smartphone is getting a similar security update right now.

The software update is known as build NMK24B and, according to Essential, is being rolled out in OTA (over the air) as we speak. Despite the fact that Essential has been delaying the release of Android Oreo for weeks, the US company is keeping its customers up to date with the latest security improvements.

In case you missed it, Essential Phone won't be getting an Android 8.0 Oreo update. Instead, Essential said its smartphone will be updated directly to Android 8.1 Oreo, but that means more work and more time to wait.

Anyway, if you see a new software update (NMK24B) on your Essential Phone know that it includes the February 2018 security patches from Google, not the highly-anticipated Android 8.1 Oreo.