When Samsung rolled out the Android 9.0 Update beta program for the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ phones, featuring the brand new One UI user interface that will power Samsung’s foldable smartphone and other Android devices, we thought the final release would be rolled out only at some point in January. But Samsung has a big surprise for its customers, whether they’re beta testers or not: The official Android Pie release for this year’s Galaxy S flagship is available to download.
It’s SamMobile that reported the news, revealing that the update is available right now in Germany, both for Pie beta users as well as those people who’ve chosen to stick with Android Oreo until the final Pie release is ready.
Beta testers only have to download an additional 158MB of data to move from the latest test release to the first final build, while Oreo users have a heftier download ahead, at 1.7GB. As always, make sure you have a decent data connection and enough battery life to perform the software upgrade. Backing up sensitive data before upgrading to a new OS version is also a good idea.
If you do not see a prompt to upgrade your phone, you can always check for updates manually. Galaxy S9 and S9+ owners who aren’t in Germany may not get the update just yet, but Samsung will likely roll it out in other markets soon.
Samsung will launch the official version of Android Pie One UI for Galaxy S9. Are you satisfied with One UI?
— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) December 24, 2018
Well-known leaker Ice Universe chimed in saying that Samsung “will launch” the Pie update for the Galaxy S9, without specifying any markets, so the final release should be available in the very near future.
What’s important to notice is that Samsung seems to have accelerated its Android update program, and its customers can only hope it lasts.
