5 Things to Know About the Galaxy S7 Android Oreo Update

The Samsung Galaxy S7 Android Oreo update isn’t confirmed, but there’s a good chance the Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge, and Galaxy S7 Active get upgraded from Android Marshmallow to Android 8.0.

Samsung is working on an Android 8.0 Oreo update for Galaxy devices, but the company’s only confirmed it for three Galaxy-branded phones.

Last year, the company confirmed a Galaxy S8 Android Oreo update via an Android 8.0 beta in select countries. The company also confirmed a Galaxy Note 8 Android 8.0 Oreo upgrade via an update on the Google Play Store.

Samsung hasn’t confirmed Android Oreo for older Galaxy phones and tablets, but we’re piecing together its plan using information from reports, rumors, and some details from the company itself.

We recently took a close look at the Galaxy S8 Android Oreo update which will likely be the first Android Oreo update Samsung releases to the general public.

Today we’re switching gears and taking a close look at the rumored Android 8.0 Oreo update for Samsung’s Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge, and Galaxy S7 Active.

Many Galaxy S7 owners want to know if they’re getting the bump to Android Marshmallow. And as we’ll explain below, there’s a very good chance all three will get upgraded to Android Oreo in the future.

We don’t have all of the answers right now, but this guide will take you through everything we know, and think we know, about Samsung’s plans for Android 8.0 Oreo and the Galaxy S7.

It includes the latest rumors, details about Android 7.1.1 Nougat, and the Android 8.1 Oreo update Google recently released for Nexus and Pixel devices.

Android 7.1.1 Possible, But Unlikely

One question we continue to get about Samsung’s plans for the Galaxy S7 is about Android 7.1.1 Nougat. Galaxy S7 users want to know if they’ll get Android 7.1.1 before Android 8.0.

Last year, Samsung appeared to be testing Android 7.1.1 Nougat on the Galaxy S7 Edge. Benchmarks emerge all the time and this is far from a confirmation.

In fact, we don’t expect the Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge, or Galaxy S7 Active to get upgraded to Android 7.1.1 ahead of Android Oreo.

Google released Android 7.1.1 in early December, 2016 for Nexus and Pixel devices. While some manufacturers adopted the new version of Nougat, Samsung’s kept most Galaxy devices on Android 7.0. That said, some Galaxy devices to Android 7.1.1.

Samsung’s pushed Android 7.1.1 to several mid-range phones and tablets, but these devices jumped from Android Marshmallow to Android 7.1.1 and not Android 7.0 to Android 7.1.1. We haven’t seen any Nougat-powered devices move to Android 7.1.1 yet.

So while the door is certainly open, we expect Galaxy S7 models to skip Android 7.1, Android 7.1.1, and Android 7.1.2 Nougat and move directly to Android Oreo when the time comes.

Remember, most of the changes from Google’s Android 7.1.1 update are in Samsung’s version of Android 7.0.

Galaxy S7 Will Get Android Oreo

You might have to wait a few weeks, but the Galaxy S7 should eventually make the move from Android Nougat to Android Oreo.

Samsung hasn’t sent out a list of devices getting Android 8.0 Oreo, but that’s not a big deal because the company sticks to a pretty predictable protocol.

The company usually keeps devices upgraded with major Android software updates for two years before killing support. Android Nougat was the Galaxy S7’s first major Android upgrade.

Samsung’s Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge launched in 2016 which means they’re probably safe while popular devices like the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy Note 5 are in danger of missing Android Oreo.

The Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge might not get this year’s Android upgrade (Android P), but Samsung and its carrier partners will likely keep them upgraded with bug fixes and security patches for years to come.

A post on the Samsung community forums appears to confirm a major update for the Galaxy S7.

An administrator claims the Galaxy S7 will get the Samsung Experience UI (formerly known as TouchWiz) in the future. The admin says the UI will be available in the “next update” for the Galaxy S7. Samsung is currently testing the Samsung Experience 9.0 UI on the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+.

The admin doesn’t explicitly say “Android Oreo,” but it’s safe to assume Samsung and its carrier partners won’t use a bug fix update to deliver these features to the Galaxy S7.

In fact, the company recently pushed the Samsung Experience 8.5 from the Galaxy Note 8 to the Galaxy J5 (2016) with the Android Nougat update.

The Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge both started on Android Marshmallow with TouchWiz before Samsung rolled out Android 7.0 Nougat and a newer version of Samsung’s UI. So while the admin’s bold proclamation isn’t a confirmation, the move makes a ton of sense.

The admin also says Samsung plans to bring the Bixby voice assistant to more devices down the road though it’s unclear if it’ll be on board the first version of Android Oreo.

An unofficial list of Galaxy devices getting upgraded to Android Oreo.

An unofficial list of supposed Galaxy Android 8.0 Oreo updates is also making the rounds and unsurprisingly, the Galaxy S7, and Galaxy S7 Edge are included. Surprisingly, the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy Note 5 are as well.

The list comes from a leaker on Chinese-language site Weibo, not Samsung, which means the information is simply rumor at this point.

Galaxy S7 Android Oreo Release Date

Samsung’s pushed a Galaxy S8 Android 8.0 Oreo beta and it gives Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ users a chance to try the software ahead of the public release.

We haven’t heard or seen anything about a Galaxy S7 Oreo beta or a Galaxy S7 Edge beta and there’s a very good chance these devices miss out. Samsung typically reserves its betas for flagship devices.

In 2017, the company’s Android 7.0 Nougat timeline looked like this:

• November 9th: Samsung releases its Galaxy S7 Nougat beta.
• December 30th: Samsung ends the Galaxy S7 Nougat beta.
• January 5th: Samsung starts rolling Android Nougat out to Galaxy S7 users.
• March/April: Samsung starts rolling Nougat out to Galaxy S6 users.

Flagships were also the first to Android Nougat and we expect the Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+, Galaxy S8 Active, and Galaxy Note 8 to be first to Android Oreo.

Android Oreo’s Project Treble could help Samsung speed the roll out up, but don’t expect the Galaxy S7 Oreo update to roll out tomorrow or next week.

Samsung’s Galaxy S8 Android 8.0 Oreo beta finishing up on January 15th so we expect the company’s first update to roll out soon after that.

Samsung Galaxy S7 Android Oreo Update

The Galaxy S7 Android Oreo update hasn’t leaked, but it will almost certainly deliver a nice set of upgrades to the aging former flagships.

Samsung’s version of Android 8.0 Oreo comes with a nice list of changes including new Edge features, an improved Samsung Keyboard, Home Screen and Quick Panel upgrades, custom colored folders, better privacy options for your Galleries, and new emojis.

The Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge Android 8.0 Oreo probably won’t mirror the Galaxy S8 update, but we expect the company to include a majority of these features in the upgrade.

If you want to get a head start, we’ve put together a guide that compares Android Oreo to Android Nougat and a guide that takes you through the Galaxy S8’s Android 8.0 Oreo update.

Android 8.1 Oreo

Everything we’ve seen points to Samsung using Android 8.0 Oreo, not Android 8.1 Oreo.

Android 8.1 Oreo, or MR1, is a maintenance release and it includes a nice mix of new features, enhancements, bug fixes, and patches.

Google’s pushed the Android 8.1 update to Pixel and Nexus phones including the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P, but it’s unclear if Samsung will jump directly to Android 8.1 Oreo or if it will stick with Android 8.0.

The latest Galaxy S8 Android Oreo beta doesn’t include anything from Android 8.1 so we’d be surprised if Samsung’s first batch of updates includes the features and fixes from Android 8.1.

Install Oreo If You Want to Improve Your Security

> 1 / 15

If you value your security, and we assume all of you do, you should think about installing the Galaxy S8 Oreo update soon after it arrives for your phone.  Samsung continues to release important security patches for Galaxy-branded devices and your Galaxy S8's Android 8.0 Oreo update should bring the latest patches from Samsung, and Google, to your phone.  The Galaxy S8 Android Oreo update delivers the company's latest security updates and we expect upcoming releases to come with newer security patches. If you're curious about Samsung's security updates, you can read more about the changes on Samsung's website.  If you failed to download an older security update from another month, you'll get those patches when you go to install Android Oreo on your Galaxy S8 for the first time.  The Galaxy S8 Oreo update also comes with security improvements to Samsung Pay, Samsung's popular mobile payment solution. If you use Samsung Pay, you should probably download the Android Oreo update soon after it arrives for your phone.  It also comes with some enhancements to Find My Mobile including the ability to remotely back up Secure Folder to Samsung Cloud when you lose your phone and a way to lock up Samsung Pass using Find My Mobile. On top of those features, Oreo comes with enhancements to the device's Biometrics. Features that use biometrics like your face, fingerprints, and irises are only available when you use a secure screen lock type (pattern, PIN, or password). If you decide to switch to a non-secure screen lock type (Swipe or None), the device will automatically suspend biometric authentication for unlocking and for verification in apps like Samsung Pay and Samsung Pass.

> 1 / 15