The Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge will try to update to Oreo in mid-May. Android OS update on a Samsung phone New UI features from Samsung

Useful tips

Want to update your Galaxy S3 smartphone to the latest Android 7.1 operating system? In this article you will find several versions of custom firmware based on Android 7.1 Nougat. The new firmware promises amazing features, including CM14.1, as well as additional security patches.

Developers and users who have already updated the Galaxy S3 to Android 7.1 report that the smartphone is fast and stable. However, it is worth remembering that the firmware is under development, so some functions may not work correctly.

On the official website of Android 7.1 Nougat firmware for Galaxy S3 you can read about new features and updates.

As of this writing, the latest Android 7.1 Nougat firmware update for the Galaxy S3 has been released January 23, 2017.

Preparation

Back up your Galaxy S3 data because your smartphone's internal memory will be completely cleared.
Enable USB debugging. Read how to do this.
Galaxy S3 must be Rooted, unlocked and using TWRP recovery mode.
The smartphone must be charged at least 60%.

Note: These instructions are intended for updating the Samsung Galaxy S3 I9300. If you have a different model of smartphone, do not try to update it using this guide, otherwise problems may arise.

How to update Galaxy S3 to Android 7.1 Nougat

Required files: Download AICP Android 7.1 firmware for Galaxy S3 and save it on your computer. Also download GAPPS, but do not extract the contents of the archive.

Connect your Galaxy S3 to your computer using a USB cable.
Copy the firmware zip file to the SD memory card.
Disconnect the USB cable and turn off the power of the Galaxy S3.
Boot your smartphone into recovery mode. You can do this by holding down three keys at the same time: Volume Up + Home + Power.
Back up your current firmware: go to Backup > Backup and restore.
Perform a hard reset: select data/factory reset. Then select wipe cache partition and wipe dalvic cache.
Next, select the choose zip from sdcard menu item, then go to the section where the previously downloaded Android 7.1 firmware for the Galaxy S3 was saved. Confirm the firmware process.
Return to the main recovery menu and reboot your Galaxy S3.

How to returnthe samefirmwareGalaxy S3: If you want to restore the old firmware then go to recovery mode as described above, click on backup and restore, then select the previous firmware from the list.

That's all! Now you know how to update your Galaxy S3 to Android 7.1 Nougat.

Samsung almost never talks about its immediate plans for updating Galaxy devices. Users are perplexed and at a loss as to when manufacturers will update the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S8 to Android 8. But finally it has happened and at the moment I still want to figure out what Samsung has provided for you and me to use and openly test.

What's new in Android 8 for Galaxy s7 and s8

As you and I know, each company releases its own builds of Android and Samsung's Oreo version is no exception. They released firmware completely different from Google.

We have received a lot of new functionality that will improve the operation of the device, many improvements, widgets and applications. We will be pleased with completely new and redesigned emoji sets in the amount of 60 pieces. Auto-fill and state-of-the-art security features.

One of the unusual changes is that Galaxy 8 owners, unfortunately, will not be able to save their fingerprints, face or eye shots unless they use screen lock protection, protect the device with a password or PIN code.

Samsung Experience 9.0 update. New items, improvements and settings

The updates also affected our Samsung Experience. The developers have brought significant innovations compared to version 7 or 8. Let's briefly go over all the points.

The quick settings panel has been updated
New home screen
New Edge functionality has arrived
Users can now create folders of different colors
The security system has received a new privacy photo gallery
The clock has been updated.
Emojis have reached a new level. Many new ones have been added.
Keyboard update. Large selection of settings and templates.
New search engine and algorithms.
Do you use fast printing? New keyboards just for you!
Fresh GIFs, emoticons and stickers
Added color filters
Information screens

Upgrade process to Android 8

The first to test the new update were residents of Germany, Poland and France. They received new functionality faster than ours and were able to describe it in every detail.

In February of this year, the update was released and now everyone can officially update their Galaxy S7 or S8 to Oreo.

The important point is that the update is really large and the update process itself should be approached quite responsibly if you want to save all your information.

First, make a backup copy of your data. Without this procedure, there is a small chance of getting a full system rollback, where it will be completely impossible to get your data back. Be sure to upload your contacts to Google, for example.
Check the amount of free space on your device. During the update process, additional temporary files will also be created, which serve as swap files of their own. These temporary files allow you to receive and unpack update archives.
Fully charge your device's battery. Users often neglect this advice, but it is written for a reason. If the update process itself takes you no more than 5 minutes, then a small glitch may occur and the update will last about an hour or even three. Battery consumption increases during the update process, which may lead to battery drain. If your device runs out of power during the update process, it may become unusable.
Remove the pattern before updating. Unfortunately, there have been cases when the update went wrong and the graphic key after a supposedly successful update did not work. I had to do a complete rollback of the device, which led to the loss of all data.

We hope that the process of updating your Galaxy S7 or S8 device to Android 8 will bring you only positive emotions. After all, Samsung has created truly new and interesting functionality in its firmware.

Samsung kept a spartan silence about when the 2016 flagships would receive Android 7.0.1, but in the end the update started on January 23 for Russian devices; the firmware can be downloaded over the air (1.2 GB).

The update itself will take from 20 to 40 minutes, depending on how much programs you have and how much memory is free. I advise you to put your phone on charge or fully charge it so that no problems arise during the update. If for some reason there is no new firmware in the “About Phone” section, then be patient, it will soon appear in your device. For phones purchased in other markets, the timing of the release of this firmware can be any, find out about this in the country of origin of your device.

An important caveat - many have already installed Android 7.0.1 and are interested in how the phone's operating time has changed. The very formulation of the question shows ignorance of the fact that in the first days, or even a week, Android rebuilds data in the system, which leads to increased energy consumption. If you leave the device on charge overnight with it connected to the network, this process may take several hours or a day. But it will be possible to talk about real operating time only in a week or two. Based on the test firmware, which is in many ways similar to the one that arrived by air, we can say that the gain in operating time ranges from 5 to 15 percent, it all depends on your settings and preferences. However, let's talk about everything in order.

Notification curtain, redesigned icons and background – operating modes

In the new version of Samsung's UI (Clean UI), the ideas that were laid down in Note 7 have been developed; fonts and background images have been redesigned as much as possible, and they have been configured so that the phone consumes the least amount of energy. From version to version of Android we are assured that power consumption is improving, but in Android 6 we practically did not notice this; in the seven changes, if present, are not dramatic. Perhaps this is why Samsung overhauled the entire system and added new operating modes.

The first thing you will encounter after the update is that the screen resolution from QHD has dropped to FullHD; in the settings you can now change the resolution from HD to QHD at your discretion. The lower the screen resolution, the longer the device will work. Usage profiles were created specifically for this purpose—they were called performance modes. You need to look for modes in the settings, the “Optimization” application (previously it was Smart Manager).

What's so great about modes? Firstly, for the first time they affect the hardware characteristics of the device, and this is not only screen resolution and brightness. For example, in optimized mode the music chip is disabled and sound enhancers do not work, but it is possible to force it on. That is, each mode is also customizable.

Don't play with toys? Then you don’t need software that makes it easier to work in games, and they are turned off. Other modes are tailored to the phone's usage scenarios, for example, gaming, entertainment (video and sound enhancements are included), and high performance. Previously, by default, phones always ran in maximum performance mode unless you turned on power saving. I like the approach with performance modes much more; it comes from needs, and not at all from the desire to save battery. Even on Note 7, after playing with different resolutions, I found out that reducing the resolution to FullHD gives an increase in operating time by about 15%.

The first thing people notice is, of course, the notification curtain, in which the background has changed, the icons have been redrawn, and this unusualness initially hits the eyes. I had the same thing on the Note 7, but in a matter of hours you get used to it and nothing seems wrong. We pull the curtain down and see six icons without labels; these are the basic parameters that most people need. Below is the usual list of notifications, now with the ability to quickly respond wherever possible.

We pull the curtain down and other icons are revealed, they already have captions. Moreover, you can change the grid, make the icons larger or smaller, the screen also scrolls to the right, there is another set of icons - scrolling is practically not needed, since all the icons can be swapped and the main one can be placed on one screen.

A line has appeared that shows the connected devices and, where possible, the battery charge level, for example, on the icon for the Gear S3 you can see that my battery is half charged.

In the previous version of the UI, I constantly ran out of space on the main screen for icons; I wanted more of them to fit. Now you can select a 4x4 grid (as before), 4x5 or 5x5 - the size of the icons will be adjusted automatically. As for me, this is an excellent solution, now there will be no need to go into the menu with icons.

The curtain also contains a quick search panel, with its help you can search for information both on the phone and on the Internet by voice or by typing text.

For the notification line at the top of the screen, you can enable a limit of three icons so that this area does not get clogged, since many applications crap there with frantic force, this is different for the same Facebook, which creates dozens of the same type of notifications and for some reason does not group them into one. It is impossible to say that something has changed revolutionaryly - all these changes are cosmetic in nature and in many ways convenient.

When taking screenshots on your device, you can take "long" screenshots of, for example, pages you're viewing. Traditionally, you can immediately crop the screenshot or write something on it.

New UI features from Samsung

It is possible that some of the listed features have already been seen, but for some reason I missed them, so don’t blame me if I present them as new features. I’ll start with the “little things” that usually don’t get around to. Thus, in the “Phone” section, a setting for roaming has appeared, when your smartphone automatically changes numbers for calls to your home country or to another country. The scenario is very simple: for example, while you are in Russia, you have written down your friend’s number as 89250000000, but you won’t be able to call it from roaming; you need a country code. The phone will automatically understand that you are roaming and enter the required code, in our case +7. A small thing, but very pleasant and uncomplicated.

Another “trifle” is the “Marketing Information” section (“General Settings”), you can refuse to receive advertising from Samsung in the form of Push messages in the curtain, then they will stop coming. For those who don’t like all kinds of offers, this is a necessary setting.

Mobile data accounting has been slightly redesigned, it looks different, but the essence remains exactly the same.

In the “Phone” section, it became possible to add a phrase to your profile, as well as medical information for emergencies; it will be available even when the device is locked (blood type, medications, something else).

“Messages” now has a pop-up menu; click on the selected message and a menu will appear. But what is interesting is the possibility of scheduled messages; you simply select the time and day when this message will be sent (the device must be online at that moment).

The email client has been redesigned, email has become more pleasant to read, since everything is in the UI style.

However, this also affected the calendar, everything seems to be the same, but it looks lighter and more pleasant.

The Clock application has also been given a new look for the system.

In my opinion, by giving all applications uniformity, Samsung did a great job, the new version of the software is perceived as seamless and looks good, although this is a matter of taste, there will probably be those who will not like this look.

The Samsung Pass function is a fingerprint login (in S7/S7 EDGE this is the only way) in the browser and stores, that is, the replacement of passwords with one application. While Pass is only taking its first steps, its operation requires the KNOX system, which is present in the devices.

A few words about the operation of the fingerprint sensor, the algorithm has changed, it works noticeably faster and more accurately. Previously, there were no complaints about how the fingerprint sensor worked, but now everything has become even better.

Multitasking mode is now from Google, you can, as before, split the window into two parts, as well as open up to 7 applications and minimize them to an icon to open later. In my opinion, the Samsung option was better.

The camera interface has changed, but no modes have been added, they just changed the design of the application.

The AlwaysON screen mode has become the same as it was on Note 7, now there are icons for different applications, you can quickly go to the application by clicking on the icon. You can also install not only certain clocks, but any of your pictures or photographs on the screen when it is turned off. I like this option of an always-on screen.

Impression

The interface has become more convenient, more information can be placed, but there is no clutter of icons, no confusion, and it has become easier to navigate. Everything is in the same style, while the speed of work has increased, the interface has become more responsive. To some extent, we can say that we received a conditionally new device, it is so different from what we had before. For many companies, the transition to Android 7 is unnoticeable; the same shells and applications remain, only their number changes. Samsung, however, redesigned the UI and made it completely different, although they maintained a certain continuity.

Tell us what you liked and what you didn’t like about Android 7 on the Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 EDGE, what are your impressions of the update. Thank you.

Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge smartphones. But, as it turned out, a specific date is actually still unknown. A number of users of the devices in question received a message in the Samsung Members application, which clarifies the information about the long-awaited update. In addition, a new product from Samsung running the latest Android 8.1 Oreo may enter the market.

As it turns out, today it is still unknown exactly when the update to Oreo will begin to be provided for the flagship smartphones Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge. Samsung has not yet announced a specific start date for the highly anticipated update, but a recent report indicates that it may begin rolling out by mid-May. The message was received by Korean device users on the Samsung Members app. New information about the upcoming update was discussed in more detail by Adnan F. on the pages of the resource sammobile.com.

Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge will try to update to Oreo in mid-May

In any case, the wait for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge to receive the new Android operating system will not be long. Both devices with the new firmware were recently certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance. All variants of the smartphones in question with Oreo offered on US carrier networks have also been certified.

Previously on Samsung's Turkish website guncelmiyiz.com There was a message that the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge will begin updating to Oreo in Turkey on May 18, 2018. But the update schedule may change. However, despite the lack of certainty that seemed obvious about the start date for the smartphones in question to receive the update to Oreo, the new information largely corresponds to what has already been discussed more than once before.

As noted in the message received by users of the Samsung Members app, the company is “doing everything possible” to ensure that the Oreo update is provided for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge smartphones in mid-May of this year. We can only hope that no defects will be found in the update and the release will take place soon.

Which device is Samsung updating to Oreo, and which ones will it update?

Other devices that will be updated to software based on the new version of the Android mobile operating system developed by search giant Google in the first half of this year include the Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A7 (2017), as well as Wi-Fi and LTE versions of the Galaxy Tab S3.

Additional confirmation of the approaching software update for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge is the message that the update is already available for the Samsung Galaxy Note Fan Edition (FE), which is a restored version of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone previously recalled by Samsung from the market.

However, technically, the Galaxy Note Fan Edition differs from the Galaxy Note 7. First of all, the Galaxy Note 7 used the Snapdragon 820 chipset. Meanwhile, the hardware of the Galaxy Note Fan Edition is based on the more modern Snapdragon 821 hardware platform. The battery capacity of the Galaxy Note 7, in which the defect was observed was 3500 mAh. As a result, the Galaxy Note Fan Edition was equipped with a less capacious 3200 mAh battery, which is described in more detail.

Will Samsung introduce a smartphone with Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box?

It is also expected that the South Korean technology giant will eventually introduce an inexpensive smartphone that will initially run a new operating system. The features of this device on Android 8.1 Oreo OS have already been discussed.

We can talk about a smartphone based on the Android Go platform. Today, thanks to the Geekbench benchmark, this new product, which has not yet seen the light of day, is known under the model number SM-J260G. Its hardware is based on the Exynos 7570 chipset, the central processor of which is quad-core. After all, we are talking about an entry-level smart phone, which is what Android Go devices are. Since the motherboard number of the device in question indicated in the benchmark listing is “universal7570_ go“, this gives additional grounds to assume that Samsung will show the public an Android Go smartphone.

Since the SM-J260G, which, according to existing assumptions, may debut on the market under the name Galaxy J2 Core, is based, as noted above, on Android 8.1 Oreo, we are probably talking about a stock operating system, to a lesser extent loading the resources of the mobile device. In this context, it should be noted that even flagship devices from the leader in the smart phone market have not yet been updated to Android 8.1.

Android Go is a software platform developed by Google designed for low-cost smartphones, which are offered primarily in emerging markets. Even very modest hardware is sufficient for this version of the OS. It is characterized by a special version of Google's G Suite applications, which can interact with small storage devices and is optimized for smartphones that cannot boast of powerful hardware.

Despite their modest hardware specifications, smart Android Go phones are somewhat superior to even the most powerful flagships. After all, they receive updates and security patches directly from Google. And this means that device vendors do not need to develop versions of their custom software shells for them, which makes it possible for updates to arrive on these smartphones faster.

Readers can discuss the new message about the update to Oreo for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge smartphones and the prospect of a Samsung smartphone appearing on the market running the stock version of the OS at

Update the software in a timely manner, this will help you ensure the stability of your smartphone and also use new functionality of the programs. In addition, it increases the security and safety of data on your device.

Update via Wi-fi

If possible, use a wi-fi connection - this will avoid installation failures and save mobile traffic.

Before updating, check the battery charge (50% or more is required), do not turn off the phone or remove the battery during the update process.
Go to the menu "Settings" - "Advanced" - "About device" - "Software update"
Select "Update" and wait for the process to complete. Please read notifications carefully; some system updates may delete your data or contacts.

other methods

Automatic update

When new versions of applications are detected, your phone will display a notification. Open the Quick Access Toolbar and confirm to download new components. After the download is complete, select install updates.

Updating using a computer

Install the Kies (or Kies3) program to synchronize your PC with your phone.
Connect your phone to your computer using a USB cable and launch the program.
Select the "Updates" menu item and follow the instructions.

Update in the store

You can also contact a Samsung service center or a company store and use “smart updates”.