It’s that time of year again. With a brand-new Android version comes the immediate question: when will my device get the upgrade? As a general rule, if your phone was made in the last two years, there’s a good chance you’re in luck — though every manufacturer is different and it really depends on what you own. Before Android 8.0 Oreo broke cover, 7.1.2 Nougat was the latest version of the platform, and it’s still unavailable to the wide majority of currently-supported phones. Still, that didn’t stop us from posing the question to all of Android’s major manufacturers. Here’s what they had to say.
Alcatel
Alcatel’s track record with Android updates is unfortunately spotty, and at the moment, there’s only one phone we expect to receive Android Oreo: The just-released Idol 5S. The Idol 5S is currently Alcatel’s only product running 7.1.1 Nougat. The company’s lower-priced handsets, the A50, A30 Plus, and A30, all launched with 7.0 Nougat. Alcatel also promised to eventually deliver Nougat to last year’s Idol 4S, which launched with Marshmallow.
We reached out to TCL, the company that owns Alcatel, regarding its update roadmap. The company had nothing to share at this time, though we’ll update this article as soon as we receive an answer.
Asus
Asus has confirmed to Digital Trends that the ZenFone 3 and ZenFone 4 series will receive Oreo by the second half of 2018. Although the company isn’t the quickest with updates, it did eventually follow through on its promise to bring Nougat to the ZenFone 3 series, so it’ll likely do the same here — just be prepared to wait a while. Part of the delay is likely due to the company adding its own ZenUI skin over the operating system, which will reportedly see an upgrade to 4.0 for Oreo.
Asus phones confirmed to receive the update:
- ZenFone 4
- ZenFone 4 Pro
- SenFone 4 Selfie
- ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro
- ZenFone 4 Max
- ZenFone 4 Max Pro
- ZenFone 3
- ZenFone 3 Deluxe
- ZenFone 3 Max
- ZenFone 3 Laser
- ZenFone 3 Zoom
BlackBerry
TCL, which works with BlackBerry to manufacture its devices, has confirmed it will update the KeyOne to Oreo. There’s no word on precisely when that might happen, but the version of Nougat on the device is pretty light and faithful to stock Android, so hopefully the company won’t have to make too many customization that would lengthen development. As far as some of the company’s other phones, no announcements have been made at this time, so we’ll have to wait and see.
BlackBerry phones confirmed to receive the update:
- KeyOne
Google’s devices are the quickest to receive every new Android version. In keeping with the company’s 18-month support policy, four Google devices will be the first to receive the Oreo update: The Pixel, Pixel XL, Nexus 6P, and Nexus 5X. This will be the final major update for the Nexus line.
Google phones confirmed to receive the update:
- Pixel
- Pixel XL
- Nexus 6P
- Nexus 5X
HTC
HTC has been one of the more respectable Android manufacturers where updates are concerned. Last year, it confirmed early on which of its phones would see upgrades to Nougat. Although it hasn’t made an announcement yet, and has not returned our request for a timeline, the company should offer a clear-cut roadmap once it’s ready to do so. In the past, it’s gotten Marshmallow and Nougat updates out the door in less than four months — an impressive feat, given the company makes its Sense UI modifications to Google’s operating system.
Specifically for Oreo, we expect the HTC U11 and U Ultra to lead the way on updates, with the older HTC 10 to follow. We’ll provide a list as soon as we hear official word.
Honor
Like its parent company, Huawei, Honor hasn’t made any announcements regarding Oreo. Also much like Huawei, Honor doesn’t sell many devices in the U.S. — there’s the Honor 6X and Honor 8. The Honor 8 already received an update to Nougat, but there’s no telling whether it will make the jump to Oreo. We reached out for information, and will let you know what we hear.
Huawei
Huawei has yet to confirm which of its phones will receive Oreo, and hasn’t responded to our request for comment. We expect to see an update for the Mate 9 and P10, which launched with Nougat, sometime in 2018. Outside of that, it’s hard to say what the company’s plans are at this time.
When the update does release, it’ll likely come in tandem with a new version of Huawei’s user interface, EMUI. Additionally, most of its phones are not sold stateside — the Mate 9 is the only phone listed for sale on the company’s U.S. site. We’ll update this as we hear more.
LG
We’re still waiting to hear what LG’s update roadmap looks like. Until then, we can look to history for some clues. Last year’s LG V20 was one of the first devices to launch with Nougat, and we could see the same happen this year with the LG V30, which will be revealed on August 31. The company’s other flagship, the G6 will also certainly receive Oreo down the line; and while the G5, LG’s failed modular phone, is still within the update window, it’s unclear if it will still get it.
Digital Trends reached out to the company for clarification, and we’ll update this report as soon as we hear more.
Motorola
While Motorola isn’t quite as timely with its updates as it once was, the company is still pretty transparent about its plans, and is one of the better phone-makers in terms of making sure none of its products are left behind. Although Motorola couldn’t give us a list of devices upon our request or provide a timeline, it did return with the following statement:
“Once Android O is fully released, we will begin working on the new code for our devices — as always, we know upgrades are about getting it right and making sure the phone performance remains the best it can be. We’ll share upgrade plans for our products and more specific timing later, and will keep everyone posted on our software upgrade page.”
With that said, Motorola will assuredly upgrade the Moto Z and Z2 lines, and likely the Moto G4 and G5 families as well — though the Moto E3 may miss out. Check back here for new information.
OnePlus
OnePlus has said the OnePlus 3 and 3T will receive the next iteration of its own OxygenOS based on Oreo. Although unconfirmed, the recently-released OnePlus 5 is expected to follow suit. During a Reddit Ask Me Anything, the company confirmed it plans to release the updates before the end of 2017.
Unfortunately, older devices, like the OnePlus 2 and X, look to have been left behind after the company failed to follow through on its promise to update them to Nougat.
OnePlus phones to receive the update:
- OnePlus 5
- OnePlus 3
- OnePlus 3T
Samsung
Like most other phone makers, Samsung has not yet made any announcements regarding Oreo’s release. Still, there are rumors, courtesy of SamMobile, that indicate no less than 16 devices will receive the update. Of course, some phones, like the Galaxy S8 series, are a given. The Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge should also receive the update. However, a few lesser-known devices not as common in the U.S., like the Galaxy J, A, and C series, may follow suit. These product lines typically are not supported for quite as long as the flagship S devices, so you’ll have to wait for official word from Samsung for clarification. In the meantime, we reached out to the company and are still awaiting a response.
Sony
As we wait to hear from Sony, its rumored nine of the company’s devices will see an Oreo update. The report comes from Phone Arena, and includes flagships like the Xperia XZ Premium, mid-rangers like the Xperia X Compact, and lower-end handsets like the Xperia XA1 Ultra. Other phones released within the past two years may also be supported.
Sony has stepped up its update efforts as of late, with the Xperia X Performance being the first of the company’s devices to receive Nougat just over three months after being released. With the IFA Conference coming up on September 1, and a Sony flagship rumored to be unveiled, it’s possible though unlikely that we could see new hardware debut with Oreo built-in. Keep an eye on our IFA coverage for news as it breaks.
ZTE
ZTE hasn’t said which of its phones are getting Oreo, and when we reached out for comment, a spokesperson responded with the following statement:
“We evaluate whether or not a device receives the latest update on a case by case basis. We are very open to looking at bringing Android O to all our of devices, but because of device hardware capabilities and carrier requirements, this will drive how quickly we would be able to commit to whether we can, and the actual timelines of seeing this come on a device.”
ZTE did make good on its promise to keep its devices current during Nougat’s run. It brought version 7.1.1 to the Axon 7, and added support for Daydream VR at the same time. The company even ran a program for ZMax Pro users to preview Nougat. It’s been reasonably timely with updates in the past, and hopefully that will continue with Oreo’s rollout. We expect the Axon 7 and Axon 7 Mini to lead the way.
That’s everything we know regarding which phones will receive Android 8.0 Oreo. There are some manufacturers not on this list, and for them we revert to Google’s official response:
“We’ve also been working closely with our partners, and by the end of this year, hardware makers including Essential, General Mobile, HMD Global Home of Nokia Phones, Huawei, HTC, Kyocera, LG, Motorola, Samsung, Sharp and Sony are scheduled to launch or upgrade devices to Android 8.0 Oreo.”
It’s still early days in terms of the operating system’s latest release, however, so you can look forward to frequent updates in the coming months. If we missed a phone manufacturer you think should be on this list, let us know!