The Galaxy A8 (2018) and Galaxy A8+ (2018) aren't available for purchase in many markets yet, but Samsung isn't using that as an excuse to sit idle as far as software support is concerned. The Galaxy A8+ is receiving an update with the January 2018 security patch in India, just a day before the phone is set to go on sale in the country. It's a 220 MB download, and the build number for the new software is A730FXXU1ARA6.
Galaxy A8+ (2018) January 2018 security patch
The January 2018 patch fixes six critical Android vulnerabilities and 13 exploits in Samsung's software, in addition to a few vulnerabilities that haven't been disclosed to prevent misuse before the update has reached all devices. We don't see anything other than a newer security patch date after installing the update, but we'll dig in deep to check for other notable changes or new additions. The changelog doesn't mention anything, though, so it's likely that enhanced security is what this update is all about.
The update can be downloaded from the Settings » Software update menu on the Galaxy A8+ and also from our firmware section. It should be expanding to other countries and to the Galaxy A8 (2018) in the coming days, and we'll be sure to let you know once that happens. If you're still wondering whether the Galaxy A8 or A8+ are worth a purchase, check out our initial impressions, and be on the lookout for our full review in the near future.
