All units of Samsung’s Galaxy S8 Active on AT&T’s network are now receiving Android 8.0 Oreo, with numerous users reporting the new software package already hit their devices in the last several days. The Dallas, Texas-based mobile service provider started upgrading the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus to Oreo two weeks ago, with the initial rollout now being close to completion. While the Galaxy S8 Active sports identical hardware internals, AT&T likely opted to update the rugged lineup to Oreo at a later date in order to balance the workload of its infrastructure. The implementation that’s now rolling out to eligible handsets is the same Samsung Experience 9.0 that consumers were already able to see on the Galaxy S8, Galaxy Note 8, and the Galaxy S9 series, with the new software also boasting the March security patch.
The update is approximately 1.2GB in size and will hit compatible Galaxy S8 Active units automatically in the coming days. AT&T’s variant of the Galaxy S8 Active is the first member of the rugged lineup to be upgraded to Android 8.0 Oreo, with other carriers being yet to follow suit. The new software version should improve the overall performance of the smartphone and also debuts a number of Oreo-specific features such as Notification Channels and support for a more capable autofill API. AT&T has yet to detail the update in an official capacity, with the new rollout being expected to be completed later this month.
Originally launched last August, the Galaxy S8 Active is the first rugged revision of a Samsung-made Android flagship that’s now an AT&T exclusive in the United States, with the smartphone also being retailed by T-Mobile and Sprint. As the South Korean original equipment manufacturer commercialized the Galaxy S9 lineup last month, the company may also be looking to introduce the Galaxy S9 Active in the second half of the year. In the meantime, Samsung is also expected to launch the Galaxy Note 9.