Earlier today, alleged press renders of the upcoming Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ leaked online. We already knew from various leaks and rumors that the S9 duo will be very similar to their predecessors in terms of appearance. It was believed that any major design changes to the Galaxy S9 pair will be only on the back side of the devices with a dual camera setup (apparently for Galaxy S9+ only) and a more sensible fingerprint reader placement.
Well, going by the renders leaked today, that may not be entirely true. It appears that Samsung is slightly tweaking the design on the front as well, and we are not sure everyone will like the design. Ever since the renders leaked, our Team at SamMobile has been vigorously debating about the design. So far, the opinions have been diverse. Here is what some of our Team members think
Danny Dorresteijn
I believe the Galaxy S9 pair will be a minor visual upgrade to the current Galaxy S8 line-up. My feeling towards the upcoming devices is reminiscent of what I felt during the Galaxy S7 edge launch. The Galaxy S6 Edge had a stellar design which made the refined Galaxy S7 edge not so exciting. It feels like a repeat of the same with the Galaxy S9.
Martin Reinders
I personally like the design of the Galaxy S9. From the renders, it looks like side bezels are thicker while the bottom is smaller compared to the Galaxy S8. The top bezel mostly remains the same. In my opinion, all of this gives the Galaxy S9 pair a more symmetrical design compared to the current Galaxy S8 line-up.
Naresh Nekkanti
If the renders are true, then I personally think it’s a step backward in design for the flagship Galaxy line-up. The side bezels are almost non-existent in the current Galaxy S8 series. This gives the user an illusion of a completely bezel-less display. I was hoping Samsung will make the top and the bottom bezels slimmer in the Galaxy S9 series, but it seems they have other plans.
Let us know what you think about the Galaxy S9 design in the comments section.
Phone authentication mechanisms have come a long way from passwords and pattern locks to fingerprint readers, iris scanners, and face unlock. They certainly won’t stop there. Samsung’s new patent envisages an authentication system based on a user’s blood flow pattern.
The patent application titled ‘Real Time Authentication Based on Blood Flow Parameters’ was filed in July 2016 in the US. The patent describes a method to identify users based on blood flow patterns in their fingers or wrists using sensors in smartphones and smartwatches.
It can be a great addition to smartwatches
According to the patent application, it is possible to authenticate users based on their blood flow patterns as ‘the arterial conduction paths of different users are almost never identical’. Sensors in a smartphone or a smartwatch can thus collect data from different blood flow points to identify the users based on data patterns that are unique for every user.
If the patent works as described in a safe and reliable manner, then this new authentication method could be a nice addition to Samsung’s smartwatches. Since Samsung smartwatches can be used for Samsung Pay, an authentication system which doesn’t require any additional steps other than wearing the watch on your wrist is a big step forward in terms of simplicity and convenience.
This new authentication system can be an interesting addition to smartphones as well. Imagine a Samsung smartphone with embedded sensors that can authenticate you without making you place a finger on a scanner or looking into an iris scanner.
While the patent sounds innovative and useful, it is worth pointing that not all patents turn into actual products or features. Reasons could vary anywhere from technical challenges to cost considerations so while all of this sounds interesting, there’s no guarantee that Samsung will ever bring this to market..
Samsung sent out invitations earlier this week to confirm that it’s going to unveil the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ at February 25 at the Mobile World Congress 2018 in Barcelona. The company will officially reveal the Galaxy S9 release date at the event but a fresh leak today from a reputable source has possibly made the Galaxy S9 release date public.
Galaxy S9 release date
Evan Blass or @evleaks is a well known Twitter leakster and he has published a purported press image of the Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+ today. It merits mentioning here that the leaks from Blass have quite often been accurate.
The accompanying report claims that the Galaxy S9 release date is March 16, further evidenced by the image. We often see Samsung highlight the release date of an upcoming handset in its official press images so there might be truth to this after all.
We already know what to expect from the Galaxy S9 and its larger sibling. Samsung has retained the 5.8-inch and 6.2-inch display size of the predecessors with the same 18.5:9 aspect ratio. The design itself is quite similar to the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+.
The report also offers some information about the RAM and storage variants of the upcoming devices. The Galaxy S9 is said to offer the same 4GB RAM and 64GB storage pairing from last year while the Galaxy S9+ might offer 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.
The Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ will both feature a primary 12-megapixel rear camera with variable aperture that will automatically switch between f/2.4 and f/1.5 aperture for optimal imaging performance. The camera reportedly supports motion-detected “super slow-mo” video capture, it will trigger 480fps recording at 720p.
Since the Galaxy S9+ has a dual camera system, it’s said to feature a secondary 12-megapixel rear module with a fixed aperture. The dual camera is aligned vertically at the back with the fingerprint sensor placed underneath. Both handsets have an 8-megapixel front camera. They’re also said to feature stereo speakers.
Samsung will officially announce the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ on February 25. We’ll be on the ground at MWC 2018 in Barcelona to bring you all of the latest updates from the event.
Infinity display. Gear VR support. Dual selfie cameras. High-performance processor. 6GB of RAM, IP68 water and dust resistance. With all those features on-board the new Galaxy A8 (2018) and Galaxy A8+ (2018), many are likely to wonder if these devices are any less than a flagship. Indeed, Samsung has blurred the lines between its mid-range and flagship lineups to a large extent this year, and the A8 and A8+ are all the better for it.
Well, that’s if you look at the spec sheet. As Samsung users have come to know by now, the real-life experience on a smartphone often has a different story to tell. Do the Galaxy A8 and A8+ have what it takes to justify the higher price tags they command compared to their predecessors? Let’s find out in this review.
Note: Before we begin, we should point out that the majority of this review was written using the Galaxy A8+ in India. But we also tested the Galaxy A8 in the Netherlands, and since the two phones only differ in screen size, RAM, and battery capacity, we have talked about how the two compare in those aspects.
Galaxy A8 (2018) and Galaxy A8+ review: Design
Like previous A series phones, the A8 and A8+ are made of two slabs of glass surrounding a metal frame. Thanks to the 18:5:9 Infinity display, the A8 and A8+ have a smaller overall footprint than the screen size would suggest, with the A8 in particular feeling very compact. Both phones are only slightly taller than the A5 (2017) and A7 (2017) while being thinner. We have also noticed that the overall build, while still featuring a premium feel, is less slippery. That’s a good thing since the rear-mounted fingerprint sensor still isn’t in an ideal position.
That’s especially true for the A8+, which is taller and more suitable for two-handed use. Thankfully, tapping the fingerprint sensor and adjusting your hand to use the device isn’t too much work. The sensor is also quick to respond and more accurate now that you use your index finger. Still, the fingerprint sensor could have been a couple of millimeters further below the rear camera, and it’s disappointing that Samsung hasn’t been able to make the necessary design changes for the same.
But hey, we finally have a notification LED on the A series, which has been a long time coming. The IP68 certification remains as well, so both devices are well protected against water and dust. Keep in mind that Samsung continues to offer the highest level of IP certification even on its mid-range devices; even the iPhone started out with IP67 certification before getting an upgrade.
Infinity Display
The Galaxy A8 and A8+ come with 5.6-inch and 6-inch Full HD+ Infinity displays. Sadly, these displays aren’t as infinite as the name would suggest. There’s an insane amount of bezel at the top and bottom, and the side bezel may as well be the same as the A5 or A7 from last year. The front is all black so viewing videos or gaming is still an immersive experience compared to phones with standard 16:9 displays, but after using the Galaxy S8 and Note 8, the Infinity displays on the A8 and A8+ don’t impress. Also, you can always see the colored metal frame on the gold or silver model, which also takes away some of the Infinity display’s charm.
But, most people will be moving to an A8 or A8+ from a budget or mid-range device (or a flagship from a couple of years ago), and they won’t be disappointed. Being AMOLED panels, these displays offer vivid colors, deep blacks, and wide viewing angles. Brightness levels are also high, and legibility outdoors was never an issue. The color contrast isn’t as high as we’ve come to expect from Samsung’s OLED displays, but that’s only noticeable if you compare with another device side by side. And if you still think the colors are too vivid to handle, you can switch to a different display mode, adjust the screen’s temperature, and even manually alter the RGB (red, green, and blue) values.
With the Infinity display come software navigation buttons, but Samsung decided to exclude a key feature that made the software keys on the S8 and Note 8 so convenient to use over the company’s traditional physical and capacitive keys. You see, the home button on the A8 and A8+ isn’t pressure sensitive, so you can’t hard press it to unlock the phone. It also means that if you’re in a full-screen app, you must first swipe up from the bottom of the display to bring up the navigation keys.
Yes, this is exactly how software buttons work on Android devices in general, but it’s a drastic change for those moving on from a Samsung device. If the fingerprint sensor were as accessible as it should be, we wouldn’t have complained. But the virtual navigation buttons aren’t as fully realized as those on the company’s flagships, especially since the fingerprint sensor is at the back of the phone. That’s a point of contention in our book, despite the fact that these are mid-range devices that can’t offer us everything as a top-of-the-line phone.
Cameras
The big selling point for the Galaxy A8 and A8+ are the 16-megapixel and 8-megapixel dual front cameras, so we’ll start by saying that we’re impressed by Samsung’s implementation. The front cameras get the Live Focus feature from the Galaxy Note 8 for selfies with background blur, and you get the option to adjust the level of blur and the area of focus after a shot has been taken. Now, while the A8 and A8+ don’t create high-quality results as seen on the Note 8’s rear cameras, they do create natural-looking photos with pretty much no artifacts in Live Focus mode.
Well, to put it another way, artifacts do pop up, but instead of not blurring things around the face, the front cameras blur out a slight part of the face or the clothes on a person’s body, so the subject in focus flows naturally into the blurred surroundings. These phones can take Live Focus photos even against the sun. Photos in Live Focus mode come out softer than normal selfies, but the end result is pleasing as you can see in the samples below. If the camera somehow blurs you instead of the background, you can edit the photo and tap on your face to make things right.
When it comes to standard selfies, the A8 and A8+ are up to the task, no matter which of the two front cameras you’re using. Yes, you can switch between the 16 MP and 8 MP sensors. The 16 MP sensor is tasked with putting your face in focus, therefore causing a slight amount of background blur even outside of Live Focus. The 8 MP sensor is the wide-angle sensor that lets you keep both the background and yourself in focus, as well as fit more of the scene in a picture.
Despite the difference in resolution, the level of detail from the two front cameras is rather similar. Both an advantage and a disadvantage, but we’ll go with the former as it means there’s a consistency in how detailed your selfies come out. Samsung has also fixed one issue with the front camera that we saw on last year’s A series phones: You no longer have to keep your hands steady like a tripod to prevent camera shake. It was a big issue on the A5 and A7 (2017), but the A8 and A8+ do a tremendous of keeping camera shake to a minimum.
Sadly, the same isn’t entirely true for the rear camera. Camera shake is certainly a lesser issue on the 2018 models, but photos from the rear camera still tend to come out a bit hazy, especially when you shoot with one hand in not-so-ideal lighting conditions. As for picture quality, the 16-megapixel camera produces enough detail, mostly accurate colors, and keeps noise under control in outdoor photos in the daytime. There’s real-time HDR enabled by default, so photos taken against bright sources can bring out detail in both dark and light areas.
HDR photos aren’t perfect, as the bright areas of the pictures tend to be overblown at times. Also, when you move indoors, photos sometimes have noticeable noise when you zoom in on objects. Things get worse when you take pictures in the dark. The A8 and A8+ have an F1.7 lens, but it doesn’t help without sufficient sources of light. Videos are affected as well, as you can see in the sample below. This dog I met out on the street one day came up and sat in my car; a cute moment, and I whipped out the A8+ to take a video. Sadly, not much was visible with a street lamp and the overhead light inside the car the only sources of light.
The A8 duo can shoot Full HD video, and there’s also an option to shoot in the phone’s screen resolution so the entire display is filled up. But those are just for viewing on the phone, so you’re better off taking videos in standard Full HD. As far as video quality outdoors is concerned, the results are pleasing. Digital stabilization helps reduce shake, but the frame rate can be slightly jittery if you move the phone too fast.
And, yes, both cameras get a slew of shooting modes. There’s a night mode for selfies that makes no difference, a Pro mode for the rear camera with basic controls, and the usual panorama (for both front and back cameras) and sports and hyperlapse options. If you would ask for a short version of our camera verdict, we’d say the A8 and A8+ are all about the selfies, so it’s great that Samsung took some time to make it as good as it is.
Performance
This is where Samsung has tackled a long-standing issue with its mid-range A series phones. For the first time, these phones are powered by a chipset with high-performance cores along with power-efficient ones, and the difference is notable when compared to previous devices in the lineup. There’s simply less amount of stutter and lag on the A8 and A8+ in everyday usage. Performance can still dip if you have apps installing in the background or try to switch between apps too fast, but the overall experience doesn’t disappoint.
The A8, sadly, doesn’t seem to be as quick as its bigger sibling, at least when it comes to opening apps. We could chalk it up to the fact that it has 4GB of RAM, but it could also be a matter of optimization, as the amount of RAM shouldn’t have a big effect how quickly apps open. Well, unless we take into account Samsung’s aggressive memory management, which could be killing off apps in the background more often on the A8. Whatever the case, the A8+ is the better device here as far as everyday performance is concerned, at least from what we’ve experienced.
Heavier tasks such as gaming and browsing are done well by both A8’s. We could play graphics-intensive games such as Modern Combat 5 and Gods of Rome with good frame rates, and both Chrome and Samsung Internet load both simple and media-heavy webpages without issues. As mentioned earlier, installing or updating apps from the Play Store can slow things down. If you see multiple app updates in the Play Store, it’s best to keep the phone aside till the updates finish installing or hold off on updating if you have to use the phone at the time.
Things can also slow down when you launch the camera. This is something we see on the Galaxy S8 and Note 8 as well: The camera app can take a few seconds to respond to swipes or a tap on the shutter button immediately after it’s fired up. Frankly, it is irritating, especially when you want to quickly take a video, only for the record button to not respond without a few additional taps. Clicking and saving of pictures is a speedy process once the app has settled down, but it would be great if Samsung could fix the initial lag that affects the camera.
Software
Android 7.1.1 Nougat and Samsung Experience 8.5 is what comes preloaded on the A8 and A8. Yes, no Oreo, but is that really surprising? The software is quite similar to the Galaxy Note 8; naturally, a few features are missing, but the overall experience is similar. The home screen works on swipes by default, with a swipe up opening the app drawer and a swipe down, if enabled in home screen settings, opening the notification shade.
You can use the fingerprint sensor to expand the notification shade (from the Advanced features menu in settings), and it’s possible to bring back the traditional app drawer button. The software navigation keys are customizable as well. You can change the navigation bar’s background color, switch the location of the back and recent apps keys, and add a small button at the side that lets you hide the navigation bar so you have more screen estate when you need it.
The phones come with features such as Dual Messenger, One-handed mode, Smart Stay, Secure Folder, Samsung Pass, and Blue light filter. Of course, Samsung Pay is supported as well. Themes are included as well, with the now huge collection of third-party themes at your disposal if the default UI is too boring. In terms of what’s missing, you don’t get the Edge screen stuff that you see on flagship phones, nor Dual Audio despite the phones having Bluetooth 5.0. But the rest is all there, and you can expect more features once Android 8.0 Oreo arrives on the A8 and A8+ sometime later this year.
Before we forget, facial recognition is also included, and it works quite well as long as there’s sufficient lighting. In fact, thanks to the wide-angle front camera, face recognition works even when you’re not looking at it head-on. It takes a second or so for facial recognition to work after the screen is turned on, but that is probably deliberate so you can have a chance to look at the lock screen notifications.
Battery Life
Possibly because of the more powerful SoC, battery life on the Galaxy A8 and A8+ isn’t as long-lasting as the Galaxy A5 (2017) or A7 (2017) series phones. You can get through an entire day without worry with medium to slightly heavy usage (and two SIMs active), but that’s about it. We never had to use any power saving modes, both phones need to be charged every night, especially if usage over the course of a day involves a few hours of mobile data.
In fact, battery endurance on our Galaxy A8, which was tested in the Netherlands, was at par with the Galaxy Note 8. As with performance, the A8+ is better off with battery life as well. After all, it only has a slightly larger screen but the same screen resolution and two additional gigs of RAM, so the extra 500 mAh under its hood gives it the advantage over the A8. But even the A8+ isn’t made for more than a day off the charger. The best you can do is hold off on charging until the next morning before you leave home.
Given the gains in performance, however, we think the lower battery life is a fair trade. You can always top up the battery quickly thanks to fast charge support, and both handsets seem to go from 0 to 100 faster than the Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8+ despite similarly sized batteries (just don’t use the phone when it’s charging). Since the phones have a notification LED, you can also disable Always On Display for longer battery life and still be aware of unread notifications.
Audio and Call Quality
Like last year, the loudspeaker is located above the power button, which makes it impossible to cover with your hand in any screen orientation. The sound output is balanced, but with low frequencies (bass) lacking. The volume could have been higher as well, but it’s not low enough to be a pain point. And the earphones offer the same quality as the ones that Samsung used to bundle with its flagships before the AKG earphones came along. The earphones are also geared towards the higher frequencies (treble), but you can play around with the built-in equalizer to balance things out.
We were only able to test calls on the Galaxy A8+ in India, and the phone fared well. The phone did seem to have volume issues when connected to Bluetooth in my car, with people complaining about my voice not being audible enough, but that’s it. Network reception was as good as Samsung’s flagships, on both the first and second SIM.
Conclusion
For what is perhaps the first time, we’ve come off with no major complaints after using one of Samsung’s mid-range phones. The Galaxy A8 and Galaxy A8+ feel like mini flagships on most fronts. Not in size, but in terms of the flagship-like features Samsung has packed into these phones. The Infinity display, while not as good an implementation as on the S8 or Note 8, makes for immersive viewing and allows the phones to be compact as well. The software keys will take some time to get used to without a pressure sensitive home button, but at least Android enthusiasts can no longer blame Samsung for not following Google’s navigation bar scheme.
The dual front cameras are terrific for Samsung’s first attempt, and the rear fingerprint sensor placement finally makes (some) sense. The rear camera, sadly, remains an okay affair at best. Battery life also falls short of what we’ve seen on previous A series phones, although like we said earlier, the increased performance makes up for the reduced endurance. The A8+ performs better thanks to the 6GB of RAM, but you get 64GB of internal storage (expandable by 256GB) on both models, the same as Samsung’s flagships.
The biggest kink in the A8 and A8+’ armor remains the pricing. In India, Samsung launched the latter at the same price as the Galaxy A7 (2017), but in Europe and most other markets, the A8 begins at around €500 and the A8+ goes up till €599. You could save more and go for the Galaxy S8 or S8+, both of which have come down in price in the last year, but then you wouldn’t get to take Live Focus selfies. You might call it a gimmick, but if selfies are high on your list of must-haves, the A8 and A8+ are great choices.
Again, you have to make the final decision. If you ask us, we’d say the Galaxy A8 and Galaxy A8+ are excellent mid-rangers with plenty of flagship flavor thrown in, and you won’t be disappointed if you get either of these phones.
Pros
Cons
High-quality Infinity displays
Rear camera suffers in poor light
Excellent Live Focus selfies from dual front cameras
Noticeable bezels despite Infinity displays
Powerful internals
Battery life lower than 2017 models
All-day battery life
A8 slightly slower than A8+
Rear camera does well in daylight
High price tags
Premium, compact design despite screen size
Samsung Pay support
Gear VR support (not tested)
Image Credit: Wallpaper used for review taken from Google Backdrops
It has consistently been rumored for the past few years that Samsung is going to introduce optical fingerprint recognition technology with a flagship smartphone. The Galaxy S8 was rumored to be the first commercially available smartphone with an in-display fingerprint sensor but that didn’t happen. It decided against the idea because apparently, the technology wasn’t ready.
We then heard the same rumors about the Galaxy Note 8 as well but even it didn’t feature an in-display fingerprint sensor. Samsung reportedly abandoned the idea for the Galaxy Note 8 due to technical challenges, it was having a hard time manufacturing an integrated circuit that was to be placed under the display’s surface to read the fingerprint image. With a Chinese manufacturer having launched a mid-range smartphone with an in-display fingerprint sensor this week, one has to ask Samsung why it’s no longer leading the way in innovative smartphone technologies.
Samsung has missed the boat
US-based sensor manufacturer Synaptics unveiled its in-display fingerprint sensor last month. The company said that it would provide this component to smartphone manufacturers who want to add this functionality to their smartphones. Many thought that Samsung would use the in-display fingerprint sensor from Synaptics for the Galaxy S9 but given that we know what to expect from Galaxy S9, it’s not going to have an in-display fingerprint sensor as well.
Synaptics demonstrated its in-display fingerprint sensor with China-based smartphone manufacturer Vivo at the Consumer Electronics Show 2018 earlier this month. The device it was demonstrated on didn’t have a name or a launch date but it does now. The Vivo X20 Plus UD was officially launched earlier this week. It’s the world’s first commercially available smartphone with a fingerprint sensor that’s integrated into the display itself.
Users don’t have to participate in finger gymnastics in order to unlock their smartphone using the fingerprint sensor as they have to do on certain smartphones where the sensor’s placement leaves a lot to be desired. They just need to place a finger on the screen. It’s that simple and even though it might be just a little bit slower than conventional sensors, it’s far from a gimmick or a novelty. The X20 Plus UD has a fully functional in-display fingerprint sensor and it goes without saying that the technology is only going to get better from here on out.
For the longest time, Samsung was expected to be the first company to take this bold step and put a handset on the market that introduced the world to this technology. That title now goes to Vivo. It’s not like Vivo was striving for perfection here, the company didn’t introduce this technology with a flagship device. The $520 X20 Plus UD is actually an upgraded model of its existing X20 Plus mid-range handset, it’s powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 660 processor with 4GB RAM and features an 18:9 6.43-inch Super AMOLED display.
There’s nothing forcing Samsung to introduce an in-display fingerprint sensor with a flagship smartphone. It can take a chance on this technology with a premium mid-range or even a regular mid-range device. It’s not like the company doesn’t add features to mid-range smartphones that aren’t even available on its flagship handsets. Case in point: the dual front-facing camera on the Galaxy A8 (2018).
The surprising part is that Samsung might have bankrolled this achievement for Vivo itself. It was reported last year that Samsung had poured a lot of money into Synaptics’ in-display fingerprint technology because it wanted the component to be ready in time for the Galaxy S8. Synaptics wasn’t able to do that so Samsung ditched the idea. Technical challenges then forced Samsung to abandon the idea for the Galaxy Note 8 as well.
Synaptics has clearly made significant improvements since then otherwise Vivo wouldn’t be releasing a smartphone with an unreliable component and it soon might not be the only company that beat Samsung to the market with this technology. Vivo is owned by BBK Electronics, a privately held Chinese mega-company that also owns Oppo and OnePlus. If the X20 Plus UD is well received in the company’s home market it won’t take long for either of those companies to push out a handset with an in-display fingerprint sensor.
Samsung has long been the leader in innovative smartphone technologies. It popularized OLED displays for smartphones and has made a significant contribution in shifting the market to larger display sizes for handsets. The company showcased its innovative spirit with experimental handsets like the Galaxy Round and the Galaxy Note Edge – two handsets that told the world just how far advanced the company’s display technology was. They introduced us to the curved displays that the world fell in love with when Samsung used them in its flagship smartphones.
Nobody is asking Samsung to launch another experimental device that showcases the in-display fingerprint technology. A poll we conducted recently showed that not a lot of people are willing to buy experimental products regardless of how much they might cost, they will only consider them if the price isn’t too high.
The fact remains, though, that Samsung appears to be losing its quality of flinging stuff against the wall just to see what sticks. It’s this quality that brought about the second coming of the stylus with the Galaxy Note lineup at a time when many had written off this input method as a relic of the Palm handheld days. It’s this quality that brought us gorgeous dual-edge curved displays that make it impossible for many to switch back to a flat panel.
If Samsung is bent on introducing an in-display fingerprint sensor with a flagship smartphone then we might have to wait until the fall this year when the Galaxy Note 9 will be due and even then there’s no confirmation that this will happen. The Galaxy A8 (2018) was a missed opportunity because Samsung’s key premium mid-range lineup has also been revamped now and its successor isn’t due until early next year. For all we know, Samsung might not launch a device with an in-display fingerprint sensor until 2019 and it’s highly likely that multiple Chinese OEMs will have launched theirs by then.
Do you think that Samsung’s innovative edge that was behind some of its greatest products ever is fading? Should the company be doing more than just improvements to its existing technologies? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
Samsung notified Galaxy S8 Oreo beta members in India three weeks ago that the beta program is going to end on January 15. It sent out another notice the following week to beta members in the United Kingdom informing them that the beta is going to end on January 17. Samsung has now confirmed when the Android 8.0 Oreo beta for the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+ is going to end in the United States.
Galaxy S8 Oreo beta ending soon in the US
The company has posted a notice in its Samsung Members app confirming that the Galaxy S8 Oreo beta ends in the United States on January 26, that’s today. Samsung released the 7th and final Oreo beta firmware for the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+ last week.
Once the beta ends, Samsung will no longer release any beta firmware and will not provide a response to feedback from members of the program. However, the community will remain open for communication between beta users.
Samsung promised in the beta notice it posted in the app two weeks ago that it will do its “best to distribute the official S/W version in January as soon as possible.” Samsung says in the latest notice that “we look forward to releasing the official software update as soon as we can.”
It’s still unclear when Samsung intends to release Android 8.0 for the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+ to the public. It shouldn’t be too long now as once the beta program ends, the next release is always the stable, public version.
