Category: Samsung Galaxy Note8

Verizon has released an update to the Samsung Galaxy Note8 on their network, bringing some bug fixes to the device as well as the January 2018 Android Security Update patch.  The new firmware build is version NMF26X.N950USQU3BRA5 for those keeping score at home.

With the January Android Security Update included in this update, it means that the Verizon variant of the Note8 is protected against the Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities which, if for no other reason, is why owners of the phablet should get this update as soon as possible.  The update also fixes a bug where the screen would freeze during incoming calls, fixes a force closed bug when unlocking the device, and another force closed issue when the method of unlocking for the device was attempted to be changed.

Samsung has announced that a new limited edition model of the Galaxy Note8 will be made available to athletes and International Olympic Committee (IOC) members for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang next month.

In collaboration with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games (POCOG), Samsung will deliver over 4,000 devices to all Olympians as well as the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic family, including IOC and POCOG staff allowing them to lean on Samsung mobile technology to enhance their experiences and connect more conveniently.

This isn’t the first games that Samsung has provided devices to athletes as they did the same in Rio De Janeiro.

If you have a Samsung Galaxy Note8 on the AT&T network, there is an important update rolling out to you starting today.  The new update brings a wide range of fixes, most notably for the KRACK WiFi exploit as well as the BlueBorne Bluetooth exploit.  The new update is build N950USQU2BQJA for those keeping score at home.

The update will range 377MB to 386MB so it is recommend that Note8 owners download the update via WiFi.  Once downloaded, the install will take about 10 minutes and will require a reboot of your phone.  The update, in addition to the exploit fixes mentioned above, also brings the October Android Security Update to the device.

If there has been once consistent complaint from owners of the Samsung Galaxy S8 or the Note8, it has been the dedicated Bixby button.  Bixby is Samsung’s personal assistant and it was rolled out well after the Galaxy S8 was released.  While Samsung did a fair amount of hyping of the AI-based assistant, it somewhat fell flat and users almost immediately began trying to figure out how to remap the dedicated button for the assistant on the phones.

Samsung squashed most of those but have finally given into customer demands.  There is a new update in the Galaxy App store that should roll out to all S8 and Note8 owners that will disable the button.

Note that this will disable the button.  You still can’t remap it, officially at least.  Samsung won’t let you remap the button to say Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.

T-Mobile has begun sending out an OTA update for the Galaxy Note8 on their network that brings a handful of improvements and fixes to the phablet.  The new version is build N950USQU1AQ15 for those keeping score at home and the over-the-air updates have already begun.  It is a small download, just 198MB.

The update brings the August Android Security Update to the Note8 along with a lot of stability improvements.  Most of the improvements are aimed at individual apps but there are also general improvements to be found in the update.

Samsung has finally started allowing the Bixby button on the S8 lineup and the new Note8 to be disabled… well, partially at least.  Bixby is Samsung’s assistant built into these phones and one of the biggest complaints about the Galaxy S8 lineup when it was released this summer was the fact that the dedicated hardware button for the assistant could not be disabled or remapped (to say Google Assistant).  Samsung stood by their decision and despite numerous hacks to get around this (which Samsung subsequently closed with software updates), pretty much forced the issue with users.  Until this past weekend.

A small software update for the Galaxy S8, S8 Plus and Note8 is allowing the button to be partially disabled.  In the Bixby settings, you can disable to button although it will still fire up if you long press the button.  The software update does not allow for remapping of the button.