Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ users across Europe and the Middle East are starting to receive the update to Android Pie. This wasn’t expected until mid January, according to Android Police, but the rollout has begun early.
The update contains a few Samsung-specific changes (such as One UI and adaptive battery). The main update is of course the core update to Android 9 Pie. Put together, the update marks a significant improvement for Samsung’s current top-tier phones.
The full list of what’s new in the Android Pie update for Samsung’s Galaxy S9 can be found in release notes posted to Samsung’s site overnight.
Android Pie Update Schedule
For everyone else, though, the roadmap for updating to Android 9 Pie has itself been updated, and the news isn’t all good; users of current and past premium handsets can expect updates relatively soon, but older devices will be waiting as much as ten to eleven months:
- S9 and S9+ (January 2019)
- Note9 (February 2019)
- S8, S8+ and Note 8 (March 2019)
- A8 2018, A8+ 2018, A7 2018, A9 2018, Tab S4 10.5 (April 2019)
- J4, J4+, J6, J6+, A8 Star (May 2019)
- J7 2017 (July 2019)
- J7 Duo (August 2019)
- Xcover4, J3 2017, Tab S3 9.7 (September 2019)
- Tab A 2017, Tab Active2, Tab A 10.5 (October 2019)
Given the Android Pie update has started a little early, it’s possible others will too. However, in Australia, it’s important to remember that there are a number of steps to the update process, and the delay is likely to come from your carrier.
Will your Samsung see an update in Australia?
While I’d suggest it’s likely your Galaxy S9 / S9+ and Note 9 will receive the update in Australia, and the Galaxy S8 is probably also fairly likely, devices further down the pecking order are somewhat less likely to do so. While Samsung will release the updates generally, whether your carrier will certify those updates for devices is another question entirely. For relatively less popular devices, they may not bother.
The good news for Samsung owners is that the unbranded updates always find their way to places like Sammobile’s Firmware site, and for a relatively minimal price, you can grab an unbranded firmware for your device (usually marked XSA for Australian devices) and install it without waiting for your carrier.
