Update: Samsung UK's beta team has officially confirmed that “Samsung currently do NOT have plans to implement Dolby Atmos on the S8 or S8+ devices using Android Oreo.” As seen in the image below, it's worth noting that things could change down the line, especially as Dolby Atmos support has been included in one of the betas. But if this was just a fluke, maybe the Galaxy S9 will bring Dolby Atmos support out of the box? We'll just have to wait and see.
Original story follows below.
The Android 8.0 Oreo beta program for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ is going to end on January 15. This lines up nicely with reports that the Oreo update is going to be released for these handsets by the end of this month.
Amid reports that at least one Galaxy Note 8 unit has accidentally received the Oreo update, an Android 8.0 build for Galaxy S8+ has been leaked online which adds Dolby Atmos support to the handset.
Galaxy S8+ Dolby Atmos support
For all intents and purposes, this appears to be a stable build of Android 8.0 Oreo for the Snapdragon 835-powered variant of the Galaxy S8+. Some Reddit users have pointed out that devices running on this build are not being certified by the Google Play Store. What that means is that while this is an official non-beta build, it's not the final one.
The build is said to be smoother than the last Oreo beta that was released a few days back. It also features the January 2018 security patch. The biggest change is the addition of a Dolby Atmos toggle in Settings.
The Dolby Atmos sound equalizer arrived on Android-powered smartphones a couple of years ago but it was initially limited to a few OEMs. It has always been possible to add it by rooting the device but not everyone does that.
Dolby Atmos can be used to tweak EQ settings and surround emulation when headphones are plugged in. There will be four presets to choose from – Auto, Movie, Music and Voice. The software is said to be buggy right now as switching between the presets makes no difference and once Dolby Atmos has been switched on it can't be turned off.
This goes to show that this build isn't final as yet since this feature requires some work. Nevertheless, it's exciting that Samsung is adding this feature to Oreo for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. Who doesn't like an improved audio experience?
Those who have the Snapdragon 835 variant of the Galaxy S8+ and are feeling a bit adventurous can sideload this build on their handset. They first have to Odin to BQL1 (December patch) if they're not already on it before sideloading this leaked build.
