Just as the Galaxy S8 Android 8.0 Oreo release was picking up steam something unexpected happened. We exclusively reported yesterday that Samsung has stopped the Galaxy S8 Android Oreo release and that the firmware files are no longer available for download from its servers. We had reached out to the company for an official response and it has now provided us with one.
Galaxy S8 Android Oreo release
Naturally, users were not happy to find out that Samsung was no longer rolling out the much-awaited firmware update despite running a lengthy beta program. It was evident that something needed fixing which is why Samsung took this big step and now we know more about the problem.
In response to our query, Samsung has sent us the following statement:
Following a limited number of cases where Galaxy S8 and S8+ devices have rebooted unexpectedly with the Android 8.0 Oreo, we have temporarily stopped the rollout of the update. We are investigating the issue internally to ensure that the impact to the affected devices is minimized and the rollout of the update can resume as quickly as possible.
Many of our readers have reported unexpected reboots after updating their handsets to Oreo and Samsung has now confirmed that this is why it stopped the Galaxy S8 Android Oreo release. We mentioned in our report yesterday that Samsung is working on a new version of the update which should be out soon.
Those who have already updated their devices to Android 8.0 Oreo don't really need to do anything. They can continue using their phones as they have been ever since the update started rolling out. Those who had downloaded the firmware on their handsets but hadn't installed it will now have to wait because those files will automatically be deleted from their devices.
Nobody would have expected a botched Galaxy S8 Android Oreo release from Samsung after what felt like a thorough beta testing phase. No wonder that some readers participating in our poll about what they think of this entire fiasco are quite cross with Samsung.
The company hasn't said as yet precisely when we can expect the Oreo release for the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+ will resume. We'll update you once we receive more information.