The Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ are going on sale in nearly 70 markets today, March 16th, and Verizon has chosen the eventful day to start rolling out the Android 8.0 Oreo update to the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. Does this reek of a conspiracy where you don't get an update on the older device before the newer one goes on sale? Well, sure it does, though since this is a carrier and not Samsung we're talking about, it's not as infuriating. Or it is, especially for owners of the Galaxy S8 and S8+ on Verizon, but let's not look a gift horse in the mouth, shall we?
Verizon Galaxy S8 Oreo update now rolling out
The Oreo update for the S8 and S8+ on Oreo comes with build numbers G950USQU2CRB9 and G955USQU2CRB9, which are slightly newer than what the rest of the world is running. The list of features remains the same, however, and that goes for the security patch as well, which is February 1. We've covered all the new features in Oreo extensively in our What's New With Android 8.0 Oreo series of articles, although most of them are exclusive to Samsung's version of the software. Some of the regular Android 8.0 features include picture-in-picture (PIP) multitasking support for apps, autofill for quickly entering usernames and passwords inside apps, and enhanced limits on background apps for reduced battery drain and better device performance.
If you own a Galaxy S8 or S8+ on Verizon, you should be able to download the update from the Settings » Software update menu. It may not be available for everyone at the moment, but the update's reach should expand over the course of the next few days. Not seeing Oreo on your phone yet? Maybe use the time to prepare your phone for the update by using some of our tips.
