Google's latest Android 8.0 Oreo may have been out for just over a month, we are already seeing developers testing them on devices as old as Samsung Galaxy S2! In today's ROM-in-Testing feature, we are looking at a Galaxy S6 port based on Android Oreo. As the warning always goes, these ROMs are very early releases as is the operating system itself, hence flash them only if you want to test them and are ready for dealing with the bugs. Definitely not ready for daily use yet. Doesn't matter? Well, here's how you can update Galaxy S6 to Android 8 Oreo then.
Before you install, make sure you know that not everything will work right away...
What's working?
Please remember that Oreo is still a very new release of Android and may contain bugs which are probably going to be fixed in some weeks or even days by the LineageOS-team or even Google itself.
- Telephony (Calls, SMS, Mobile Data)
- WiFi
- Bluetooth
- NFC
- Fingerprint
- Camera
- 2D/3D-graphics + Vulkan
- And probably everything not listed in the bug-list or related to one of these issues
Bugs and Problems...
- Hardware-Codecs are not working, videos with high resolutions (from about 1080p+) may start to lag
- Some videos with specific codecs can't be placed, fixing the previous bug should fix that one too
- Also connected to the HW-Codec Bug, videos can be recorded with Stock Camera-App, but not played with stock-video players (Only VLC is known to properly play those videos)
- GPS in "Device only" mode does not work properly on some apps
- Random freezes, problem and source still not really known
Prerequisites to update Galaxy S6 to Android 8 Oreo beta
- Backup any important data from your Samsung Galaxy S6 as a complete wipe will be required during the flashing process.
- Enable USB debugging option on your device: Settings > Development Options > USB debugging.
- Samsung Galaxy S6 must be rooted, unlocked and installed with a recovery tool like TWRP or CWM.
- Your device must be charged to at least 70% of power.
Note: this tutorial is focused on Samsung Galaxy S6 model G920F; do not try this guide on other Android & Samsung devices. For more details and support, visit the developer's XDA thread.
- Relevant: Fix Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge Battery Drain Issues
How to update Galaxy S6 to Android 8 Oreo
Required files: download Oreo for your Galaxy S6 or S6 edge from here and save it on your computer. Do not extract the contents.
- Connect your Galaxy S6 to your computer using a USB cable and copy the zip file to your phone’s SD card.
- Disconnect the USB cord and power off your Galaxy S6.
- Boot it into recovery mode: switch the phone on while pressing and holding Volume Up + Home + Power buttons simultaneously.
- Perform wipe data tasks: from Recovery, perform a full data wipe by pressing the Wipe button. Tap on Swipe to Factory Reset at the bottom. (If you are new to Android O, wipe Dalvik, Data, System and Cache)
- Go back to main recovery menu and tap on the Install button. Locate the ZIP file and tap Swipe to Confirm Flash.
- Once installation process is done, reboot your Galaxy S6 into the latest version of Android.
Don't forget to share your experience with this beta release of Android 8.0 Oreo for Samsung Galaxy S6. Discovered any stable Oreo ROMs? Do share with us.
About the author: Rafia joined Wccftech in 2012 as a tech reporter. She is currently working on stories focusing on people and technologies that are turning Microsoft into a “company to watch” again. She is also responsible for collaborating with tech makers and e-commerce platforms to bring annoying but tempting deals to our readers.
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