Unexpected device updates give us Android geeks warm fuzzies, and candidates for updates don't get much less expected than budget tablets — but here we are. We've received several reports that Samsung's Galaxy Tab A, released in the spring of 2016, is being updated to Android 8.1 Oreo.
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[Update: ZC520KL] ASUS ZenFone 4 Max (ZC554KL) updated to Android 8.1 Oreo with ZenUI 5.0
We're currently on the fifth generation of ASUS ZenFone devices, but that doesn't mean that previous models have been (entirely) forgotten. The ZenFone 4 Max has just begun receiving its update to Android 8.1 Oreo, which also includes ASUS's ZenUI 5.0 skin. This is a few months behind schedule, but at least it's here now.
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[Update: For real this time] Android 8.1 Oreo rolling out to Moto G5S Plus
Remember the Moto G5S Plus, the strangely-named almost-flagship that debuted about nine months ago? We haven't heard much about it for a while, but according to Motorola's support page, it's now receiving its Android 8.1 Oreo update. That means that it's skipping 8.0 Oreo, which comes as something of a surprise given Lenovorola's update reputation.
Read MoreAsus rolling out Android 8.1 Oreo to the ZenFone 4 Selfie (ZD553KL/ZB553KL)
Asus launched the ZenFone 4 Selfie last year, with the highlight feature being its dual 20MP front-facing cameras. The phone initially shipped with Android 7.1, but just like Asus promised a year ago, it's now receiving an update to Android Oreo.
Read MoreMoto G5 kernel source code for Android 8.1 Oreo is out
The non-Plus model of the Moto G5 was never released in the US, but for those of you overseas who have one, here's some good news. The Android 8.1 Oreo-based kernel source code for the Moto G5, codenamed 'cedric,' has now been published on GitHub, meaning that developers can start cooking.
Read MoreMotorola releases G5 Plus kernel source code for Android 8.1 Oreo
You hear us talk a lot about manufacturers releasing the kernel source codes for their devices. Some resist hard, while others just take some time. In the case of the latter, Motorola released the Android 8.1 Oreo sources for the Moto G5 Plus over on its GitHub.
Read MoreMotorola introduces two Android One devices: Motorola One and One Power
After buying Motorola, Lenovo doesn't seem to know where it wants to go and how it wants to brand things. Currently, it still releases devices under its own Lenovo brand, it has also made countless variants of every Moto E, G, C, M, Z, and X (but Y?), and now it's back to using the full "Motorola" name for its new line-up of Android One devices: the Motorola One and One Power.
Read MoreMoto G5S Plus kernel source code for Android 8.1 Oreo is out
All manufacturers are required by the GPL to release the kernel source code whenever there's a change to it, which usually happens when a major update is pushed. The Moto G5S Plus, codenamed 'sanders,' has been waiting for its Oreo update for quite a while now, but with news of a soak test occurring in Brazil and this 8.1 Oreo source code's release, it looks like it may be coming soon.
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