The Samsung Pay app recently started receiving support for Android 8.0 Oreo, as evidenced by the screenshot below. The software package that’s meant to make the mobile payments service compatible with Google’s latest operating system is seemingly being distributed as a client-side update through the Galaxy Apps store, whereas the version of Samsung Pay on the Google Play Store has yet to start receiving the same functionality. It’s currently unclear which countries and devices apart from the Galaxy S8 are encompassed by Samsung’s initial rollout, though the smartphones that are set to be part of the company’s upcoming Android 8.0 Oreo Beta Preview program seem like the most probable candidates for the update, meaning owners of the Galaxy S8 Plus, newly released Galaxy Note 8, and the aforementioned handset should be on the lookout for an update prompt in the coming days. Additionally, one owner of the Galaxy S7 Edge (SM-G35F) from Brazil using ZTO’s ROM says they have received the same firmware upgrade last Wednesday but didn’t provide a proof for their claim.
Countries that will be allowed to participate in the same beta program are likely being prioritized with the new rollout and while the South Korean original equipment manufacturer has yet to officially announce its testing initiative, the United States and parts of Europe are presumably the company’s top testing markets candidates, as was the case with previous Android beta programs launched by Samsung. The tech giant traditionally pushes out major OS upgrades to its flagship devices in a chronological order based on their age, meaning that the Galaxy Note 8 may be the first one to officially receive the stable version of Android 8.0 Oreo, followed by the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus. The latter model was already sighted running the new OS build several days back and while it may not be the first one to start receiving a finalized variant of Oreo, it’s expected to be eligible for its beta.
Samsung distributed Android 7.0 Nougat to all models of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge in most parts of the world by early 2017 and is expected to do the same for its last three Android flagships and Oreo next year. The Beta Preview program itself should be launched by the Seoul-based firm by November, as suggested by its previous launch patterns for similar initiatives. The first Samsung-made devices running Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box are expected to be members of the Galaxy S lineup, i.e. the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus which should debut by late winter or early spring.