In August, Google launched the new Android 8.0 Oreo to its Pixel and Nexus series phones and soon after the announcement, several affiliated OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) enthusiastically listed their devices eligible for new update sparking excitement among Android phone users. But, two months have rolled by, since the release and among them, only Sony has managed to keep its promise (for Xperia XZ Premium). Now, leading smartphone maker Samsung is reportedly planning to take the first step of hosting software beta testing program in select markets.
Community blog Android World citing reliable sources has claimed that Samsung will host Android Oreo Beta Program for Galaxy S8 (& S8+) in its home market South Korea, the United States of America and the United Kingdom in the first phase. In the coming months, it is expected to be expanded to the European region with countries such as Germany, Spain, France, Poland and in Asia, India and China and on the list.
As per recent reports, Samsung Android Oreo Beta Program is expected to go live this week. Interested Galaxy S8 (& S8+) owners will be asked to get registered and receive the Android Oreo beta via OTA (Over-The-Air). In return, the users are obliged to provide feedback and if they face any bug or issues, they should report it to the company.
Once the company is fully assured that there are no glitches in the software, only then, it will roll-out the software to the public en masse. If previous release pattern is any indication, Samsung will take another month and probably deploy the Android Oreo to the Galaxy S8 series before the end of December across all regions of the world. Even Galaxy Note8 users can expect to get the OS update in the same timeline, as it is the company's newest flagship phone.
What's coming in Android Oreo?
Android Oreo comes with numerous enhancements over the Android Nougat such as faster booting, extended battery life by cutting down on unnecessary activities of apps in the background, more fluid experiences to phones and tablets as well as improvements in security via Google Play Protect that checks suspicious activities and malware in an application.
Read more: Google Android Oreo vs Android Nougat: What's changed?
It also brings 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. And 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.
A notable aspect of the Android Oreo is the Rescue Party feature, which helps the device to recover from constant bootloops.
