Reports out of Turkey indicate that the Android 8.0 Oreo software may begin rolling out to Samsung smartphones in early 2018. There aren’t concrete details by way of devices and timeframes, but the Korean manufacturer is supposedly now working on a “pilot model” software for Android 8.0, according to the Turkish news website, Güncel Miyiz.
Samsung has promised to have details about its latest Android updates available before the end of the year, but there have already been a few murmurs about what the company may have in store for the upcoming rollout. Reports from September suggested that Samsung was developing the firmware versions G950FXXE1ZQI7 and G955FXXU1ZQI7 in accordance with the Android Oreo update. This firmware could potentially be the Samsung Experience UX, which would run on top of the Android software. There has also been word that Samsung may soon start its beta program for Android Oreo, ahead of the software’s official release.
It is likely devices, including the Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ will be among the first to update to Android 8.0 Oreo. Samsung beta tested the Android Nougat software on the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge in late 2016 and released the official software between January and February. Samsung only updated its spring flagship models due to the Galaxy Note 7 being discontinued in 2016. However, the repackaged Galaxy Note FE released in July running Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box.
There is no word on whether Google’s new Project Treble initiative will change or speed up how Samsung executes its updates. The initiative is intended to allow for more seamless Android rollouts onto OEM devices by separating the stock Android software from the customizations added by manufacturers.
Güncel Miyiz claims the impending Android Oreo update will bring to Samsung smartphones features including, Night Mode, Picture-in-Picture multitasking, new emojis and notification improvements.
Other manufacturers currently working on the Android 8.0 Update include HTC, OnePlus, Motorola, HMD Global and Huawei.