latest
Samsung is updating a bunch of very old phones for a seemingly curious reason
This firmware update for the Galaxy S7, S7 Edge, and S8 better be worth the developers’ trouble
Five years after their initial release, most smartphones are no longer receiving regular security patches, let alone Android updates. That said, every once in a while we see some big exception, where a phone company reaches out to deliver a presumably very special update to a handset it was otherwise no longer supporting. That's the sort of situation we're thinking about right now, as Samsung makes the unusual move to release software updates for old Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S7 models — reportedly to fix a... GPS issue?
2017's Samsung Galaxy S8 receives a surprise software update just weeks from 2022
But it comes from Verizon, so we have some questions
The Galaxy S8 and S8+ were pretty great phones for their time, but that time is long over now... or is it? Some long-haul owners are now getting a new software update for the device and we have some questions about it.
Samsung adds new phones to its security update schedule — here's the complete list
The A22, M32, and F22 will only get quarterly patches
Read update
Back in 2017, the Galaxy S8 represented a big step in the evolution of Samsung's flagship S line-up, removing the home button and igniting the war on display bezels in the process. Four years later, it's still a great-looking phone, but it's sadly reached the end of the line when it comes to updates — Samsung has ended software support for both the S8 and S8+, as well as moving other older devices to a less regular update cycle, and adding new phones to the schedule.
Samsung halts monthly Galaxy S8 updates, moves phone to quarterly releases
Joined by other A-series mid-rangers from this year
Samsung’s once-flagship Galaxy S8 series turned three following the recent launch of the Galaxy S20 line. While the company usually commits to two years of regular OS and security updates for its high-end models, the releases start to get a bit more infrequent after that. That's just what's happening now to the manufacturer's 2017 Galaxy flagship.
Read update
Google promised over a year ago that the wireless version of Android Auto would work out-of-the-box on any Android 9.0+ phone, but that hasn't quite panned out. The only devices that have been able to use it are Google's own Pixel devices (plus the Nexus 5X and 6P), but that finally appears to be changing.
Moment announces biodegradable cases for Samsung Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra
Most Samsung cases on sale for the next few days
After yesterday's presentation for the Galaxy S20 line of phones, many of you may have already made the decision to order one of the three models to be your next phone. Since Samsung is sticking to the glass sandwich recipe for this generation, it may be wise to wrap that (potentially $1400) phone in a case to add a bit of protection. If you didn't choose one of Samsung's options, Moment has a couple cases available that might fit the bill, and they are designed to be very environmentally friendly.
Until recently, the words "Samsung" and "timely updates" were never uttered in the same sentence, unless you were emphasizing the contradiction between them. The Korean behemoth had a reliable, albeit very leisurely update schedule, pushing Android users who valued prompt access to security patches and new features away. With Android 10, things changed drastically, and Samsung has been impressing us more and more, with both major OTA rollouts and monthly security patches. Whether it's due to a different strategy, new team or leadership, Android's Project Treble, or some magical potion, Samsung is quickly becoming the OEM to beat for Android updates and we can't help but applaud its recent efforts.
Broken displays often end up being the death sentence for old phones, so in a great marketing move that's also good for the environment, Sprint has decided to offer $50 repairs for shattered Samsung Galaxy screens. The deal is valid regardless of your carrier and will run through February 9 or while supply lasts. To take advantage of it, you need to drop in at a nearby Sprint shop.
Every Android fan knows Samsung phones are extremely popular, but just which models are leading the pack? A new report sheds some light on the situation, not just helping to confirm that Galaxy models are the most used in each US state, but also revealing some interesting trends about the devices preferred in different regions.
Samsung is offering its flagship Galaxy Note10 series of phones at steeply discounted prices—so long as you have an eligible trade-in device. The company's now increasing how much it's willing to pay out for your existing handset, making even older phones like the Galaxy S8 worth as much as $350 towards the Note10—bringing the new model down to $600.
For years, AT&T has been trying to push its SMS successor, Advanced Messages. The problem is that the standard only supports a handful of flagships and isn't even interconnected with the networks used by other carriers. Still, AT&T is working to get Advanced Messaging out to more devices and has just pushed out one such update to the Samsung Galaxy Note8 as well as the S8 and S8+.
If you happen to be in the somewhat curious position where bundling all your TV, internet, and phone services with one company aligns with your best interests, you may have considered joining Xfinity Mobile at some point to complement your other Comcast services. But up until now, if you wanted to bring an Android phone over to use, there was no way to do so except to trade in and buy one from the carrier. Today, the MVNO has finally expanded its BYOD program to include several major Galaxy phones though there are three massively disappointing omissions to the list.
More than two years after Samsung announced its original Dex dock, Plugable designed a competitor that can work with virtually any USB-C device. The Cube is a tiny hub that connects to your device through an external cable and acts as a dock to link it to USB peripherals, a monitor, and even an external network.
Read update
Some Sprint customers who own smartphones in the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S10 series are facing major cellular reception problems. There has been some progress in solving the woes of S10 owners, but for those with plagued S8 devices, the investigation is just beginning.
Read update
Samsung's One UI is possibly the hottest update the company has issued for its devices. Owners of the S9, S9+, and Note9 have enjoyed it for a while, and so have those who bought the new S10/S10+/S10e, but users who have the older generation of flagships from 2017 have had to wait a little longer. After a few months in beta, the S8 and S8+'s update began rolling out in Europe and is now crossing the Atlantic to the US.
With One UI, Samsung introduced a system-wide night mode for its Android Pie devices. The new feature darkens the manufacturer's proprietary software such as the Calculator and Messages apps and also alters the overall menus and interface colors, but still requires you to manually enable dark mode in other applications like Messenger or Slack. Android Auto, on the other hand, happily receives this setting and defaults to it, no matter the time of the day.
Samsung really, really wants you to use Bixby. That's why it has included a physical button to access its woefully underpowered assistant on most phones since the Galaxy S8. Samsung has traditionally tried to prevent remapping that button, but the Galaxy S10 changed that. The official Bixby remapping feature from that phone is now spreading to Samsung's other devices.
Samsung just unveiled the much-anticipated Galaxy S10, but the company hasn't completely forgotten its two-generation old flagship. The Pie update has reached the Galaxy S8 and S8+, but only if you're in Europe.
After releasing Android 9 Pie for the American Galaxy S9, S9+, and Note 9, Samsung is now rolling out the new software to the US variants of the Galaxy S8, S8+, and Note 8. People in other countries, such as the UK, India, and Korea, were already able to participate in the beta program, and it only made sense for the 2017 handsets to follow in their siblings' footsteps.
Samsung's Android 9 Pie rollout has been rather swift. After beta testing it along with its new One UI on the Galaxy S9, S9+, and Note9, it began rolling it out to users of the first two models late in December. Back then, the company also released a Pie update roadmap with the months it expected to push the OTA for its remaining devices. Now, an updated roadmap has been spotted by SamMobile, pointing to quicker release dates for the Note9 and Note8.