Samsung have started rolling out Android Oreo to Galaxy S8 and S8+ users. Galaxy S8 fans have seen plenty of other Android phones get the Oreo update ahead of them, like the OnePlus 5T as well as Sony and Nokia devices.
On Thursday, the Galaxy S8 Oreo update started rolling out to beta testers in Germany and Samsung previously said S8 and S8+ users who took part in the Android Oreo beta test would get the full release a day before the general rollout. This means an Android Oreo release for the S8 and S8+ should be expected on Friday.
But while Samsung are set to launch the big update imminently, not everyone will be getting it from day one.
If past releases are anything to go by, users who purchased their S8 or S8+ from Samsung directly or bought it SIM only will get the Oreo update first. Anyone that has a Galaxy S8 or S8 Plus on contract looks likely to get the highly anticipated update in the coming weeks.
This is due to networks “having to” test the software before it’s pushed out to customers and of course, add any bloatware they love to add. Depending on how fast operators complete “tests” for the big update, some S8 owners could see the S9 launch before they get to download the Oreo update.
Samsung will unveil the Galaxy S9 and S9+ on February 25 ahead of Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona.
The latest versions of the Galaxy S smartphones have all released in recent years with the most recent build of Android. The S8 launched with Android Nougat 7.0, while the S7 launched with Android Marshmallow 6.0. So it’s entirely possible the Galaxy S9 could launch at MWC 2018 with Android Oreo installed, while some S8 users are still waiting to receive the update.
The Android Oreo update is expected to become available to download for some Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus owners on Friday, with the patch weighing in at 487MB. The firmware will come with the February 2018 security patch and offers a number of new Oreo improvements.
The update will bring with it battery saving improvements, better notifications and picture-in-picture support.
Android Oreo is expected to be the default software for the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus, the next flagship smartphones Samsung are launching. The S9 and S9 Plus are expected to have virtually the exact same design as its predecessors. There are a number of notable differences, however, including the fingerprint scanner moving below the rear camera as opposed to the awkwardly placed S8 position. The Galaxy S8 and S8+ had the fingerprint scanner right next to the camera, which made it easy to smudge the lens when you tried to unlock your phone.
The S9 Plus is also expected to have a dual camera set up, similar to the Note 8, which will let users shoot pictures with out-of-focus effects.
The Galaxy S9 is rumoured to cost £789, £100 more than the Galaxy S8.
