T-Mobile is launching a new software update for the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, introducing a couple of Android security updates and various improvements to the phablet. The new software package weighs 383MB and is identified by the baseband version “N950USQU2BQJA” which means that this is essentially the same update that landed on AT&T’s Galaxy Note 8 last week. This also implies that the update at hand should include BlueBorne and KRACK vulnerability fixes, though this detail appears to be missing from the changelog posted on T-Mobile’s support page.
According to the official changelog, the latest software update will fix a known IMS roaming bug, provide additional system stability improvements, and introduce the Android security patch for the month of November. As usual, the update is gradually being distributed over the air and eligible T-Mobile customers should receive an update notification in the coming days, or they can otherwise manually trigger the update process by accessing the Settings app on their phones and navigating to the ‘Software update’ section. In both cases, users should make sure that the smartphone is connected to a stable Wi-Fi network in order to avoid slow transfer rates, and ensure that the device has at least 50 percent of battery charge left, i.e. enough to survive the entire process without unwanted and potentially dangerous interruptions.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 arrived on T-Mobile’s network on September 15 running Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box. This is the first software update to be distributed by T-Mobile for the device, save for the launch day software update pushed out by the third largest mobile service provider in the country. The carrier is expected to continue distributing Google’s monthly security patches for the Android phablet on a regular basis, and Samsung is currently working on bringing Android 8.0 Oreo to the device, though according to previous reports, the Galaxy Note 8 might not make the jump to the new version from Android Nougat before the end of the year. Either way, it’s important to keep in mind that major software updates are usually subjected to a lengthier approval period by network operators, whereas maintenance updates like the one reaching T-Mobile’s Galaxy Note 8 this week are generally launched in a timelier manner.