Nokia once refused to join Google's Android mobile operating system and chose Microsoft's Windows Phone platform. Now, it is one of the fastest when it comes to providing regular Android updates.
The iconic Finnish mobile phone brand chose to jump on the Android bandwagon only after being acquired by HMD Global. And it now seems like it's keeping its Android commitments on top priority.
HMD Global has just released the latest Android 8.1 update to its recently launched Nokia 6 (2018) and Nokia 7 Plus smartphones.
Both the phones, running Android 8.0 Oreo, were announced April 4 in India. However, it now looks like the Nokia 7 Plus will most probably come with Android 8.1 Oreo preinstalled when it goes on sale from April 20 onward.
The Nokia 6 (2018) is already available for purchase in India.
Both the smartphones, along with the Nokia 8 Sirocco, are part of Google's Android One program, meaning that they will receive future iterations of Android updates and security updates ahead of any other smartphones.
As per reports by NokiaPowerUser, a website that specializes in news and updates regarding Nokia phones, the Android 8.1 Oreo update has started hitting Nokia 7 Plus and Nokia 6 (2018) units in India.
It is also expected that the update will be rolled out to other markets in the coming days.
The update for Nokia 7 Plus weighs in at 509MB, while the same for the Nokia 6 (2018) is around 802 MB in size.
The updates bring along the latest April Android security updates, several bug fixes and a bunch of new features that include a redesigned Settings and Power menus, battery saving navigation buttons and the Bluetooth battery percentage display.
Nokia 3 gets Android 8.0 update
Apart from these two smartphones, HMD Global has also started rolling out Android 8.0 Oreo OTA update to its budget-friendly Nokia 3 smartphone.
The company's chief product officer Juho Sarvikas confirmed the roll-out in a tweet.
You asked, we listened. Android 8.0 Oreo™ drops for #Nokia3 today. pic.twitter.com/8aci6KC1JV
— Juho Sarvikas (@sarvikas) April 11, 2018
To recall the Nokia 3 was launched last year as part of Nokia's first Android smartphones launched in India and it came with Android 7.0 Nougat straight out of the box.
To check for the updates, on your Nokia smartphone go to Settings > System > About Phone > System Update.
Meanwhile, HMD Global had earlier announced that all of its smartphones, including the ones launched last year, will be updated to Android P.
Almost all Nokia smartphones, except Nokia 2, are already running or are receiving Android Oreo updates.
Why are Samsung and Xiaomi lagging behind?
The speed at which Nokia is rolling out the updates is a good indicator of the company's commitment to the user and other manufacturers like Samsung and Xiaomi need to take a lesson or two from Nokia in this regard.
Samsung's last year's flagship Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ are still in the process of receiving Android 8.0 Oreo updates, almost a year after launch.
Xiaomi's case is even worse. The company may have become the No.1 smartphone brand in India and basking in the success of its latest Redmi Note 5 and Redmi Note 5 Pro, but the handsets were launched with Android 7.1 Nougat preinstalled and are yet to receive an update to Android 8.0 Oreo.
