Samsung officially announces launch of Galaxy S8 Android 8.0 Oreo program

Samsung has now officially announced the launch of the Galaxy S8 Android 8.0 beta program. It's open for Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ owners in a handful of markets, and Samsung is calling it the Samsung Experience 9.0 Beta courtesy the new version of the company's user interface that debuts on Oreo.

Galaxy S8 Android 8.0 Beta

Samsung has launched the Android 8.0 Oreo beta in the United States, United Kingdom and South Korea in the first phase. Folks in South Korea will need to have a device from carriers SKT, KT or LG U+, those in the US will need a Sprint or T-Mobile Galaxy S8 or S8+ or an unlocked variant, while those in the UK will be able to use it only on a fully unlocked model.

Galaxy S8 and S8+ owners who want to take part in the beta must be based in the aforementioned markets. They will first have to register for the beta via the Samsung Members app (or the Samsung+ app if they're in the US), which can be downloaded from the Play Store. Registrations will be limited at first but Samsung will accept new registrations later on. If you manage to secure a place, you will get the beta firmware over-the-air.

Samsung's Galaxy S8 Android 8.0 Oreo beta program is likely going to last for a couple of months. The company is yet to confirm when it's going to release Android 8.0 Oreo to the public. Reports suggest that it might happen early next year.

We'll be putting the Oreo beta through its paces to see what's new and what's changed, and we'll let you know once the beta actually becomes available for download. For now, check out the image below for the official changelog. For screenshots from the new software, head here.