Samsung Galaxy S8 Android Oreo Features To Be Tested In Beta Program

Android 8.0 Oreo is already making its rounds on the usual early adopter devices, including the Pixel and Pixel XL, the Pixel C, the Nexus 6P and the Nexus 5X. As usual, many devices outside of Google’s direct branding will likely have wait several weeks or months before they update to the new operating system.

Samsung in particular, is known to drag its feet with it comes to getting its latest devices caught up to the latest Android operating system, but new reports indicate the manufacturer may soon begin its Oreo beta program for the Galaxy S8. Considering it is September, this could be a good indication that Samsung aims to develop and release its Android 8.0 update as soon as possible.

Recent reports from SamMobile say Samsung is working on the firmware versions G950FXXE1ZQI7 and G955FXXU1ZQI7, which are believed to be the Android 8.0 Oreo update for the Galaxy S8. The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 + will likely be among the first Samsung devices to run Android 8.0; however, it is simply a matter of when. The Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge unlocked models began updating to the then new Android 7.0 Nougat in January, while carrier models began updating in February.

Prior to release, Samsung’s Android Nougat software spent approximately two months being tested in the manufacturer’s new Beta Program. It was the first time Samsung allowed users to sign up to test its software before an official release.

However, the Galaxy S8 Beta Program may be different due to Google’s new Project Treble initiative, which aims to push updates to devices faster by separating the stock Android software from the customizations added by manufacturers. Android devices are known to have slow updates due to manufacturers and carriers taking time to add their own user interfaces on top of stock Android before pushing updates out to users. Samsung is infamous for adding many custom features to Android. However, with Project Treble, users would first receive a system update and then a customization update.

There is no word on how Project Treble will affect how manufacturers develop and test updates for devices. But if executed properly, users can hope to see Android 8.0 Oreo on the Galaxy S8 before January.