All Galaxy phone owners are crying right now, but the source of their tears is what sets apart the tragedy from the joy. One UI 7 is Samsung's variant of Android 15 – you know, the mobile operating system that came out in Q3 of 2024 – and it's finally here.
Hence, the tears of joy are easy to explain. You've got a Galaxy S24 Ultra, for example: you've waited for Android 15 half a year longer than intended, but the One UI 7 update is here, so life is good and you're on the brink of whistling a Gene Kelly tune.
What's with the Galaxy users that are crying for real, then? Well, all that glitters is not gold, and if you keep a close eye on tech, you should've learned that by now.
And the harsh truth is that many Galaxy phones and tablets will be updated (much) later "in April", while some 20+ Samsung models will receive One UI 7 in May (like the Galaxy A35, Galaxy Z Fold 4, Galaxy S21 series and more) or even in June (Galaxy A53, Galaxy A33 and more).
Yikes.
To add to this, let that sink in:
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 won't get One UI 7 at all?
The way Samsung pampers its upcoming foldable could be enraging!
It's not like the poor, super expensive Galaxy Z Fold 7 will be stuck on the One UI 6.1.1 version. Nothing of the sort.
This is possible due to the fact that Google has been a busy little bee as of lately and Android 16 (which serves as a foundation for One UI 8) is going to arrive earlier in 2025 – probably in June, as opposed to the traditional fall release scheme of recent years.
While my initial reaction to the possibility of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 getting One UI 8/Android 16 out of the box was: "Hey, that's great!", I then took a step back.
What if I was a Galaxy owner? What if my Samsung phone is to get One UI 7 in June, while the Galaxy Z Fold 7 – a phone that's expected in July or August – gets One UI 8 right away?
– Me, contemplating about a parallel universe in which I'm a Galaxy phone user
I mean, isn't this an obvious ridicule? Popular phones like the Galaxy A series are stuck on Android 14 for months (long after rival companies have been offering Android 15), while niche bijoux like the Galaxy Z Fold 7 get the brand-new Android 16 version without (their owners) breaking a sweat.
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However, there could be an explanation to all of this.
Android 16 for foldables out of the box? But why?
Image credit – PhoneArena
Not so long ago, Google announced new steps to improve how apps are shown on large-screen Android devices. Android 16 is said to limit developers' ability to lock apps to specific orientations or aspect ratios, while Android 17 will go further by removing this option entirely.
Without restricting their apps to only portrait or landscape modes or fixed aspect ratios, future apps will be expected to follow Google's UI design guidelines to ensure their apps scale properly across various screen sizes, including foldables and tablets.
If apps remain unoptimized, future Android versions will automatically stretch them to fill the entire screen, which could lead to poor visual results. This move is likely to push more developers to properly adapt their apps for the larger displays on foldables.
Some could say that Samsung's decision to equip the upcoming foldable with One UI 8 is a way of apologizing to Samsung fans and users for the One UI 7. That could be true to a certain extent, but I don't buy it.
This sort of apology is a day late and a dollar short, in my book, at least.
Since 2020, Samsung has been selling more than 200 million smartphones per year (sometimes, it's as high as 260 million) according to statistics.
Not that much of those are foldables – and much more are Galaxy S and Galaxy A series devices, I assume.
The way Samsung pampers its foldable is… understandable. It's a high-end handset, one that paves the way for the Big Foldable Revolution, so the company should pay special attention to it. But not at the expense of the Galaxy S series, for example.
I think the many millions of Galaxy A phone owners – although the A series is not considered to be flagship – deserve better than waiting nine months for a simple software upgrade.
Nobody needs perfection
The Galaxy S24 Ultra has also been left for nine months without Android 15, too. | Image credit – PhoneArena
It could be that Samsung has screwed up royally with One UI 7 because they wanted to get things done perfectly – and it's a noble chase, that chase of perfection.
But, as a certain French fella said a couple of hundred years ago, "perfect is the enemy of good".
Yes, perfection is an illusion and chasing it is futile.
Yes, it's counterproductive to strive for 100% perfection, if you get bogged down and can't release a simple mobile operating system for (more than) half a year.
No, it's not just Samsung that has put itself in the "epic fail" genre lately: let's not forget how Apple delayed the revamped Siri and Apple Intelligence once again. Of course, it's not just Samsung that's delaying new Android versions: LG, Motorola, Sony, many brands have been guilty of such behavior at a point in time.
My advice to the honorable One UI team is this – don't go for perfection. If you can't make it in one sit-down, just split it up. Release the new One UI with the most important basic new features right after Google releases its new Android version. After that, you're free to release another smaller One UI update. Then another.
Just don't let hundreds of millions of people wait for nine months for One UI 7, because your niche foldable needs new One UI 8 clothes.
Sebastian, a veteran of a tech writer with over 15 years of experience in media and marketing, blends his lifelong fascination with writing and technology to provide valuable insights into the realm of mobile devices. Embracing the evolution from PCs to smartphones, he harbors a special appreciation for the Google Pixel line due to their superior camera capabilities. Known for his engaging storytelling style, sprinkled with rich literary and film references, Sebastian critically explores the impact of technology on society, while also perpetually seeking out the next great tech deal, making him a distinct and relatable voice in the tech world.
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