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February 22, 2025
Samsung, known for its swift rollout of Android updates, is taking an unusually long time with One UI 7, its proprietary version of Android 15. While monthly security patches and annual Android updates for top models have always been available quickly, the situation with One UI 7 is different. The beta program started later than with its predecessors, and so far, the new version has only been released for the Galaxy S25 series. Users of older devices, like the Galaxy S24 Ultra, are wondering about the reasons for the delay and the expected update timeframe.
Samsung justified prioritizing the Galaxy S25 series with the numerous new "Galaxy AI" features. This explanation was given during a Galaxy S25 event in January. This deviates from Samsung's previous update strategy. In the past, a new One UI version was released towards the end of the year, followed by a new Galaxy series in January or February of the following year with new software features. Some of these features were later made available for older devices with a point update, e.g., One UI 6.1.
Interestingly, the new AI features of the Galaxy S25 were not part of the beta launched in December 2024. Meanwhile, Samsung has already released the fifth beta version for the Galaxy S24 in the US. The number of further test versions is officially unclear. According to information from Samsung insider Tarun Vats, further test versions are planned for March and April. This would mean that owners of a Galaxy S24 model might not be able to expect the update until May. The update availability for other Galaxy models of the A and M series also remains uncertain. It is also unclear which features of the Galaxy S25 will ultimately be available on older devices.
The delays with One UI 7 pose a challenge for Samsung, as Android 16 is already nearing release. Google plans to release Android 16 in the second quarter of 2025, between April and June, significantly earlier than in previous years. This means that Samsung has to work on the completion of two major Android updates in parallel, which have to be adapted for numerous Samsung models.
The delay of the One UI 7 update raises questions about Samsung's update strategy. Users are eagerly awaiting official information on the update schedule and the feature set for older devices. The imminent release of Android 16 presents Samsung with the challenge of developing and rolling out two major updates in parallel. It remains to be seen how Samsung will master this challenge and how this will affect the update supply of the various Galaxy models.
Sources: - t3n.de/news/one-ui-7-wo-bleibt-das-android-15-update-fuer-galaxy-smartphones-1674404/ - t3n.de/news/update-one-ui-7-welche-samsung-galaxy-modelle-android-15-1666255/ - de.linkedin.com/posts/t3n-magazin-yeebase-media-gmbh_one-ui-7-wo-bleibt-das-android-15-update-activity-7298669147981271041-KV6r - www.threads.net/@t3n_magazin/post/DGVWpibqKyC - www.facebook.com/100064654845221/posts/1055595829938902/ - www.infranken.de/ratgeber/technik/internet-handy/one-ui-7-samsung-update-android-15-galaxy-smartphones-verzoegerung-beta-tmr-1-art-6074078 - t3n.de/news/one-ui-7-samsung-gibt-erste-android-15-beta-frei-das-steckt-drin-1661794/ - m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1055595829938902&id=100064654845221 - eu.community.samsung.com/t5/samsung-lounge/der-quot-wann-kommt-one-ui-7-quot-sammelthread-antwort-das-wei%C3%9F/m-p/11434095