Samsung pulls off a surprise! Updates Galaxy S8 from 2017, Know what it gets

Samsung updates its 2017 flagship Galaxy S8 with a new bug fix for the GPS feature. The Galaxy S8 isn’t on Samsung’s official support list.

The Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ get a new software update to fix its GPS bug. (Samsung)

The Samsung of today has made a name for updating its phones the fastest and the longest among Android manufacturers. However, the situation was different a few years ago when Samsung phones didn't used to be updated as much. In fact, the flagship Galaxy S series phones only got two OS updates and that too delayed. And it's not that they were affordable back then. Hence, you are likely to see a couple of these old Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S8 phones in the wild. Samsung now has some good news for these users who do not want to give up on their purchases.

Samsung has released a software update for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ smartphones. The update is essentially a bug fix patch and pertains to an issue related to the GPS module of the phone. The changelog for the firmware states the fix as “GPS stability has been improved” and doesn't state anything else. Hence, that is all one gets with the latest update to the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. Several other reports have mentioned a similar bug fix patch for the older Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S6 devices, as well as the newer Galaxy S9.

Samsung updates its 2017 flagship

If you rock a Galaxy S8 and were expecting a new version update to Android 12 with the latest One UI, you will be disappointed. The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ was left on Android 9 with the Samsung Experience UI. For a phone that has aged more than five years, it makes no sense to expect anything else.

Even Apple recently dropped support for the 2017 iPhone 7. The iPhone 7, unlike the Galaxy S8, has been receiving the latest updates over the years on the same day as the latest iPhone models. Apple, however, won't update the iPhone 7 to iOS 16 this year, thereby leaving the phone with just five years of software support.

Things have changed for Samsung devices now. Starting from all 2021 Galaxy S and Galaxy Z devices, Samsung now promises up to four years of OS updates and five years of security support. Hence, the Galaxy S22 series and the recently launched Galaxy Z Fold 4 as well as Galaxy Z Flip 4 will be destined to get software updates for the next five years.