The Samsung S9 is one of the best Android phones around, but one thing it’s lacking at present is Android 9.0 Pie, or Android P in short. That could be about to change, if the latest leak is to be believed.
Eagle-eyed Dutch Samsung fan blog GalaxyClub.nl points out that the Galaxy S9 Plus has popped up in the GFXBench database with an Android P reference, which suggests that the South Korean company is testing Google’s latest mobile OS on the device ahead of releasing an upgrade.
It would be extremely odd if the S9 and S9 Plus didn’t make the leap to Pie together, and the leak also bodes well for the newly released Note 9 and Galaxy S10, as it means Samsung is accelerating its delivery of Android updates.
Android 9.0 Pie was only sent live by about a month ago, so to see it already being tested is a major step forward for Samsung. Galaxy S8 owners will no doubt remember that their phone didn’t get Android 8.0 Oreo until early-2018 (February or March, depending on region), or nearly a year after it was first released.
Typically, manufacturers like Samsung augment Google’s stock Android software with a number of their own features to give their handsets a differentiated user experience, slowing down the update process.
Related: When does my phone get Android Pie?
Only a handful of phones have already been treated to a taste of Pie, namely the Google Pixel, Google Pixel XL, Google Pixel 2 and Google Pixel 2 XL – all Google’s own efforts. The just announced Sony Xperia XZ3 is shipping with Android 9.0, but hasn’t been released yet, while select Moto and OnePlus handsets have been confirmed for the upgrade, along with more niche devices like Andy Rubin’s Essential phone series.
While we can’t confirm that the leak is legitimate, GalaxyClub has a decent track record when it comes to spying all things Samsung, so we wouldn’t be surprised if the S9 and S9 Plus get their slice of Pie sooner rather than later.
Has your phone got Android 9.0 Pie yet? Let us know on Twitter @TrustedReviews.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
