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Android 9 Pie is now rolling out to unlocked Samsung Galaxy S8, S8+, and Note8 handsets in the US, finally. It’s always odd to see unlocked units get the update last, but that is the case this time around.
The Galaxy S8, S8+, and Note8 had started receiving Android 9 Pie in the US last month, though not unlocked variants. Android 9 Pie had arrived to Sprint’s variants at the end of March, while AT&T and T-Mobile joined in on March 29. Verzion’s and T-Mobile variants followed, while now Unlocked models are getting the update as well.
This update weighs around 1.5GB for all three phones, and it comes with a security patch for March 2019. As part of this update, the Galaxy S8, S8+, and Note8 users will not only get Google’s Android 9 Pie update, but also Samsung’s brand new One UI Android overlay.
Android 9 Pie has been available for the Galaxy S9, and S9+ handsets in the US for a while, while the Galaxy S10 series shipped with that update, so if you’ve used any of those devices you probably already know what to expect.
Samsung’s One UI puts focus on one-handed use, and it’s considerably different to Samsung’s Experience UX. One UI adapts Samsung’s applications so that they’re always reachable with one hand, though unfortunately, Samsung’s UI cannot affect third-party applications, of course.
One UI has also brought a facelift to Samsung’s Android overlay, as it also looks better than ever before, it’s more flat now, and way more consistent than it was before. On top of that, One UI works really well on the Galaxy S9 and S10 series devices, same goes for the Galaxy Note9, while users have been reporting that the Galaxy S8 and S8+ are not having any problems either.
Android 9 Pie should improve battery life on the Galaxy S8 series and the Note8, on top of everything, as it brings Google’s Adaptive Display and Adaptive Battery features, whose goal is a more pleasant experience but also less battery drain.
The Samsung Galaxy S, S8+, and Note8 were all introduced back in 2017. Those three phones were basically the company’s flagship offerings in 2017, but they’re still quite compelling devices, as their hardware is still not obsolete, and new software enhancements are always welcomed.
The Galaxy S8, S8, and Note9 actually resemble the Galaxy S9 series quite a bit, while the Galaxy S10 series did bring some changes in terms of the design, mainly thanks to display camera holes.
The Galaxy S8, S8+, and Note8, unlike the Galaxy S10 series, do not sport display camera holes, and you also won’t find notches on those three devices either. All three phones are made out of metal, while they sport QHD+ Super AMOLED displays. All three phones are fueled by the Snapdragon 835 in the US, the Galaxy Note8 includes 6GB of RAM, while the Galaxy S8, and S8+ come with 4GB of RAM.
Android 9 Pie has started rolling out to unlocked Galaxy S8, S8, and Note8 units in the US, but please do keep in mind that this is a staged rollout, as per usual, so the update may not be available straight away for your device. If that is the case, do not fret, as chances are you will get it within a week or so.
