Android 8.0 is officially known to the mobile world as Android Oreo, and we’re happy that the baton has passed from Nougat to the newest sweet treat. Now that the next sweet treat of a mobile update has been announced, the question on everyone’s mind is, “When is my device getting Android Oreo?” This question is easy to answer if you have a Google device such as a Pixel or Pixel XL; if you don’t, then prepare for what could be a complicated situation.
In line with increasing tech-savvy customer expectations of faster update releases, Google has provided a statement that Android OEMs will have Android Oreo on new and existing devices by the end of 2017.
We’ve also been working closely with our partners, and by the end of this year, hardware makers including Essential, General Mobile, HMD Global Home of Nokia Phones, Huawei, HTC, Kyocera, LG, Motorola, Samsung, Sharp and Sony are scheduled to launch or upgrade devices to Android 8.0 Oreo. Any devices enrolled in the Android Beta Program will also receive this final version.
As with all promises, though, not everything comes true. In the case of Google, the search engine giant will push out Oreo to the recent Pixel and Pixel XL as well as the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P. Determining when Android OEMs release Oreo is another matter entirely.
Normally, Android OEMs would release the update to carriers, who would then have to check for compatibility before it lands on carrier customer devices. And yet, if we can take anything from Google’s newly-announced Project Treble, it’s that vendor implementation may be easier than ever in the future such that device compatibility won’t be a question any longer. What that means for the Android Oreo release isn’t clear, but perhaps Oreo will really prove to be “sweet” for update-hungry fans.
While it’s unlikely that Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8 will see Oreo immediately, the LG V30 could prove to be a possible candidate because its predecessor, the LG V20, was the first Android-powered smartphone to feature Android Nougat out of the box.
In the final analysis, it’s easy to release Android Oreo on new smartphones rather than update existing ones, so Oreo-powered hardware is most likely. Android OEMs are working hard to improve on update releases, though, so here’s to hoping Google’s promise is more fact than fiction.
