Galaxy J5 (2017) Oreo update may be based on Android 8.0, not 8.1

Another budget Galaxy phone has been certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance with Android 8.0 Oreo onboard. This time it’s the Galaxy J5 (2017), following its little brother, the Galaxy J3 (2017), which was certified a week ago. And yes, it seems the Galaxy J5 (2017) Oreo update will not be based on Android 8.1. Android 8.1 was suggested by a benchmark listing earlier on, but the final update may be based on Android 8.0.

Galaxy J5 (2017) Oreo update certified

Wi-Fi certifications are ultimately more concrete evidence for such things. Benchmark listings can be manipulated but the same isn’t possible for the Wi-Fi Alliance, which has to give its blessings to each device for each major OS upgrade. This may mean that the J7 (2017) will also be updated to Android 8.0 and not 8.1. And we would prefer that over Samsung playing favorites like it did last year by upgrading the Galaxy J5 (2016) to Android 7.1 Nougat and the J7 (2016) to Android 7.0.

This does not mean users of these devices will be missing out on anything, as every existing Samsung phone that has received the Oreo update already is running Android 8.0 as well. Android 8.1 will be making its debut with the Galaxy Note 9 and the Galaxy Tab S4, along with various other tablets and phones that will be released in the coming months. That includes the Android Go handset that Samsung is preparing.

When will the update start rolling out?

Well, it could be a few months before the Oreo update arrives for the J series phones. The schedule mentioned in the Samsung Members app suggests some devices might be waiting for Oreo till December. Samsung Turkey, meanwhile, says the rollout could commence sometime in September. Only time will tell, and all one can do is keep their fingers crossed that the wait isn’t too long.

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Exclusive: Here are the complete Samsung Galaxy Tab A2 XL specs

Everyone has been talking about the Galaxy Note 9 these days, and in between all of that, the Galaxy Tab S4 has been getting some attention as well. The Galaxy Tab S4 will be Samsung’s latest flagship tablet, but the company has also been working on a few mid-range and budget tablets. The Galaxy Tab A2 XL falls in the former category. It’s expected to be one of the few non-flagship Galaxy devices to get a Bixby button and some of the tablet’s specs were uncovered through its firmware. And thanks to our sources, we can now fill in the blanks.

Galaxy Tab A2 XL specifications

The Galaxy Tab A2 XL has a 10.5-inch LCD display with a resolution of 1920×1200 pixels. Under the hood, there’s an octa-core Snapdragon 450 SoC paired with 3GB of RAM, along with 32GB of storage. The rear camera is an 8-megapixel sensor while the front has a 5-megapixel camera; powering all of this is a 7,300 mAh battery that can be fast charged via a microUSB port. On the software front, you get Android 8.1 Oreo. The tablet will come in both Wi-Fi-only and LTE-enabled flavors (model numbers SM-T590 and SM-T595 respectively).

Here are the specs in bullet points:

• 10.5-inch LCD display, 1920×1200 pixels
• Snapdragon 450 octa-core chipset
• 2GB of RAM, 32GB storage, microSD slot
• 8-megapixel rear camera
• 5-megapixel front camera
• 7,300 mAh battery, fast charging support
• Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, LTE, Bluetooth 4.2
• Android 8.1 Oreo

Now, the Tab A2 XL is expected to be yet another Samsung device without any physical navigation keys. But there isn’t going to be anything like an iris scanner or a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, so facial recognition is probably going to be the only secure unlock option other than the standard PIN and pattern options. There doesn’t actually seem to be a Bixby key on-board, either, but our source hasn’t clear on that front.

We are also unaware of exactly when the Tab A2 XL will go official. Firmware for both the Wi-Fi and LTE models have been available online for a few days. So has firmware for the Galaxy Tab S4, and with Samsung teasing a new device announcement next week, we may see both tablets make their debut around the same time.

Would you be interesting in picking up the Galaxy Tab A2 XL if the price is right?

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Samsung Pay: Supported banks in Singapore

Samsung Pay is the most widely accepted mobile payment service, but it is ultimately up to the banks and card providers in a particular country to enable official support for their credit and debit cards so that they can work with Samsung Pay. This page lists the major banks and payment service providers that are on-board with Samsung Pay in Singapore.

Samsung Pay Singapore: Supported banks

• American Express
• Citibank
• DBS
• FEVO
• Maybank
• OCBC Bank
• POSB Bank
• Standard Chartered
• UOB (United Overseas Bank)

Not all cards from these banks may work with Samsung Pay. Some of them may not work with traditional card machines, either, only with NFC-machines. The list of supported banks and card providers will be regularly updated, so keep checking back if your current bank or card provider doesn’t support Samsung Pay. For more details, check out Samsung’s official website.

Have questions about Samsung Pay? Check out our dedicated page to see what Samsung Pay is all about, the devices it supports, how you can set up and use Samsung Pay, the difference between NFC and MST, and more.

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