Samsung, which is slated to release the Android Oreo update to flagships Galaxy S8, S8+ and Note8 series soon, will be extending the OS to two other lesser-known devices later this year.
The company has not acknowledged any plan to release Google's new mobile OS v8.0, but its official US carrier partner, T-Mobile, has confirmed it.
The telecom company has listed the mid-range Galaxy J7 Prime (SM-J727TZDATMO) and tablet Galaxy Tab E 8 (SM-T377TZKATMB) series as devices that will get Android Oreo.
"T-Mobile and the device manufacturer (Samsung) have agreed to support a new software update (Android Oreo)," the firm said on the website. However, there is no word on when the company intends to release the software update.
This is a welcome gesture, as device-makers are often known to show stepmotherly treatment to non-flagship devices. With the announcement, Samsung is trying to win over loyal fans and also attract more consumers to its fold. It will be great if other Android-affiliated brands embrace Samsung's initiative.
What's coming in Android Oreo?
Android Oreo brings a boatload of improvements over Android Nougat, such as faster booting and more fluid experiences to phones and tablets, as well as improvements in security via Google Play Protect that checks suspicious activities and malware in the application.
Read more: Google Android Oreo vs Android Nougat: What's changed?
One notable attribute of Android Oreo is the Rescue Party feature, which helps the device recover from constant boot loops. It also extends battery life by cutting down on unnecessary activities of apps in the background.
It also comes with new features such as picture-in-picture, which allows users to do two tasks simultaneously, like checking the calendar while planning a party on a Duo video call. Its Smart Text Selection improves copy and paste. With the help of machine learning to recognise entities on the screen—like a complete address—users will be able to easily select text they want with a double tap, and even bring up an app like Maps to help during navigation.
During the ongoing Galaxy S8 series beta-testing, Samsung, in addition to Google Android Oreo features, is adding its own custom features to enhance user-experience, which includes new clock styles for both the lock screen and Always on Display, and Smart View — which lets the mobile phone's display turn dark when mirroring the content on large TV screen, thus saving battery draining.
However, only a few features come to the Galaxy J7 Prime and the Galaxy Tab E 8 due to hardware limitations.
