Also read: What’s new in Android 8.1
Earlier (Jan 23): After a successful roll-out of the Android 8.0 Oreo update in November last year for the Nokia 8 smartphone, HMD Global has released the beta of the Android 8.1 update for the phone. According to the company, the beta update is now available and can be installed by joining the Nokia beta labs.
If you are already a member of the Nokia beta labs, your phone will automatically receive the Android 8.1 beta OTA update notification.
“Be our guest as we serve Android Oreo 8.1 beta for Nokia 8. Updating your device today will enable a host of new features. And most importantly – the hamburger emoji fix with cheese now on top of the patty,” wrote Juho Sarvikas, Chief Product Officer, HMD Global, in a tweet.
Last line of Juho’s statement takes a dig at the Android hamburger emoji episode, when someone pointed to Google CEO Sundar Pichai that the hamburger emoji on Android has cheese below the patty rather than on top of the patty. Pichai had replied that he will drop everything else and get right on that. The emoji fix was one of the changes introduced in Android 8.1 release.
Android 8.1 Oreo was announced in December, 2017 and includes a number of new APIs and other improvements. Among the consumer-facing changes, the update brings settings revamp, quick settings update, notification shade changes, final Oreo easter egg, and more.
Nokia 8 was the first Nokia phone to get Android 8.0 and now, it seems to be all set to become the first Nokia to get Android 8.1 as well. The company has said that Nokia 2 will directly jump to Android 8.1 and the phone could be next in line to get the 8.1 update after Nokia 8. Among other Nokia Oreo updates, the company has already released the update for Nokia 6, Nokia 5, Nokia 6 (2018) and Nokia 7 phones.
