5 Things to Know About Galaxy S8 Android Oreo Update

The Samsung Galaxy S8 Android Oreo release is approaching, and today we want to tell you the most important things you need to know right now about Samsung’s plans for Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ users.

Some companies like Sony have released detailed Android 8.0 Oreo plans. Others, like HTC, have released official Android Oreo updates. Samsung, the world’s largest Android manufacturer, has only revealed a few concrete Android Oreo details.

The company has been keeping quiet about most of its plans, although it has recently launched the Galaxy S8 Android 8.0 Oreo beta, a beta that has rolled out to additional countries around the world.

The Galaxy S8 Android 8.0 Oreo update is the first on the company’s list and has been confirmed for two models, the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, in the United States, United Kingdom, South Korea and a few other regions. Unconfirmed, but we expect the update to roll out to the rugged Galaxy S8 Active on the way.

As the Android 8.0 beta progresses, Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ users are desperately waiting for information, and this guide will walk you through everything we currently know about the company’s plans for the Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+ and Galaxy S8 Active.

It includes its latest news, a few things we’ve come to expect from Samsung’s Galaxy S8 Android Oreo release, a quick look at Google’s new Android 8.1 update, and some key information about the device’s Android 8.0 beta.

If you haven’t been following the progress of the Galaxy S8 Oreo update, this will get you up to speed in a matter of minutes.

Galaxy S8 Android Oreo Beta

Samsung has released a Galaxy S8 Android 8.0 Oreo beta ahead of the official release for devices worldwide. Unfortunately, the beta is limited to the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ in a few select regions.

Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ Android 8.0 Oreo beta is currently limited to select users in the United States, United Kingdom, South Korea, France, Germany, India, and Poland.

In the United States, Galaxy S8 and S8+ users using Sprint or T-Mobile, or an unlocked version of both devices, can use it. It’s unclear whether the company plans to expand the beta to users on AT&T and Verizon.

In the UK, the program is available for Galaxy S8 and S8+ users with an open market device (operator unlocked version).

And finally, the Galaxy S8 Android 8.0 beta program is available for Galaxy S8 and S8+ users whose device is locked to SKT, KT or LG U+ in South Korea.

Samsung is currently in the fourth Galaxy S8 Android 8.0 beta. It’s unclear how many betas the company will release or how long the beta will last.

Last year, the company’s Android 7.0 Nougat beta ran from early November to late December. The official version of Android Nougat arrived on Galaxy S7 devices in early January.

How to Get Galaxy S8 Oreo Update Right Now?

If you own a Galaxy S8 in one of these regions, you can give the Galaxy S8 Android Oreo update ahead of its official release date.

If you’re interested in signing up for the beta, check out our step-by-step progress. It will walk you through the process, which should only take a few minutes to complete, provided you have a Samsung account and proper setup.

We’ve also prepared a few guides to help prospective and current Galaxy S8 Oreo beta users.

The Galaxy S8 Android Oreo update is extremely appealing, but most people should stick with the official firmware. The Galaxy S8 Android Oreo beta is problematic and reverting to an official version of Android can be time-consuming.

If you’re in danger, take a look at our reasons for downloading and not installing the Android 8.0 Oreo beta on your Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8+ right now. It will guide you through the pros and cons.

If you decide to install the update on your device, check out our pre-installation guide. It will help you minimize headaches before, during and after the installation process.

You should also bookmark our list of fixes for common Galaxy S8 Android 8.0 Oreo beta issues. It helps you fix battery life issues and connectivity issues.

Samsung Galaxy S8 Android Oreo Release Date

As the Galaxy S8 Android Oreo beta makes progress, we’re still getting a little closer to the official Galaxy S8 Android 8.0 Oreo release date. Unfortunately, we don’t have an exact date yet that we can share with Galaxy S8 users.

First on Android 8.0 Oreo announcementGoogle has stated that it is working with its partners to roll out Android 8.0 Oreo updates before the end of the year.

Samsung is included in the list, but that doesn’t mean Samsung will release the final version of Android 8.0 Oreo this year. In fact, Samsung’s release of Android Oreo seems to closely mirror the release of Android Nougat.

Last year, the company’s Android 7.0 Nougat timeline looked like this:

The Galaxy S7 Nougat update spent over a month in beta testing and started rolling out en masse to Galaxy S7 users in late January/early February.

This timeline coincides with the latest information from a Samsung representative from the company’s beta program. The representative claims that the Galaxy S8 Android 8.0 Oreo update should be released in January or early February at the latest.

Earlier this year, Samsung Turkey said it plans to roll out the update in Turkey in early 2018, although it didn’t specify a specific release date.

Realistically, with the holidays so close and with the information we have, we’re likely to expect an official announcement next month.

Samsung Galaxy S8 Android Oreo Update

Google’s Android 8.0 Oreo operating system offers a wide variety of new features, tweaks and improvements. These changes include over 60 new emoji, redesigned emoji, upgraded Notifications, improved launch speeds, deeper colors, AutoFill, and a few new security features.

If you want to start researching the changes in Android 8.0, we have prepared a guide comparing Android Oreo to Android Nougat.

This is a great starting point and will help you familiarize yourself with some of the changes coming to your Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+ or Galaxy S8 Active.

Samsung’s version of Android 8.0 Oreo looks different thanks to the company’s new Samsung Experience 9.0 user interface. However, the company has included many of these features in the Galaxy S8 Oreo upgrade.

The Galaxy S8 Android Oreo update in its current state includes new emoji characters, performance improvements, and tweaks to Samsung’s apps and services. Highlights include:

You can find out more about these improvements in our Galaxy S8 Android Oreo update guide.

Android 8.1 Oreo

Everything we’ve seen points to Samsung pushing Android 8.0 Oreo to Galaxy S8 users instead of Android 8.1.

Google recently released Android 8.1 for Pixel and Nexus phones, and it offers more than just bug fixes. It also brought some new features.

There’s always a chance Samsung will upgrade to Android 8.1 Oreo, but that’s far from confirmed.

Last year, Google released Android 7.1.1 for Nexus and Pixel devices in early December. While some third-party manufacturers have adopted the new version, Samsung has kept most Galaxy devices on Android 7.0.

Many devices, including the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, still run Android 7.0 even though Samsung has upgraded their mid-range devices to Android 7.1.1 Nougat.

Is this a big deal? Only if Samsung fails to provide Android 8.1 features and fixes in time. Most Samsung devices run Android 7.0, but most of the changes from Android 7.1.