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Samsung is reportedly rolling out the Android 8.0 Oreo update for the Galaxy Note 7 Fan Edition (FE) in South Korea, specifically for the variants distributed in the country by SK Telcom and LG Uplus. The rollout is not entirely surprising given that a roadmap which was leaked last November listed the aforementioned smartphone as being eligible for a future Oreo update, and especially after Samsung began pushing Android Oreo onto other, more popular top-tier models including the Galaxy Note 8. As yet it’s unclear when the fresh Oreo update for will expand into other regions, though given the relatively low number of Galaxy Note 7 Fan Edition units in the wild, in theory, it shouldn’t take too long for the OEM to complete the distribution.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Fan Edition is an unusual device in that it came to exist simply due to a manufacturing defect pertaining to the original Galaxy Note 7 model, which was recalled and discontinued fairly shortly after its market debut. Technically speaking the Fan Edition is a refurbished variant of the original model, featuring a smaller battery with a capacity of 3,200mAh, down from the original’s 3,500mAh unit, and due to its nature it is somewhat of a limited edition smartphone launched only in select countries, with early reports indicating that the device was completely sold out in Korea during its first two months of availability.
Aside from the smaller battery, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Fan Edition also adopted a newer iteration of Android since it was launched later than the faulty model, and as a result, it came preloaded with Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box instead of Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. Now, according to reports, the device is making the jump to Android 8.0 Oreo in South Korea, though at the moment it’s not clear what changes have been introduced by the new OS. Aside from the usual performance and battery life improvements generally associated with newer software, the update reportedly includes the latest security patch for April 2018. Additionally, Android Oreo should theoretically introduce a new UI which might take the form of Samsung Experience 9.0, effectively delivering a software user experience similar to that of the latest Samsung Galaxy S9 series.